As Bhutan observed the world toilet day by recognising gewogs and dzongkhags for achieving open defecation free status and 100 per cent improved sanitation coverage, there are still places in the country without access to toilets. More than 3000 households do not have access to a toilet facility according to the Population and Housing Census of Bhutan (PHCB) 2017 report.
In the rural areas like Laya in Gasa, a dzongkhag which has the least percentage of improved sanitation facilities in the country, people still use pit toilets.
Of the 909 households in Gasa, only 55 per cent have improved sanitation facilities. The national average for the same is close to 75 per cent.
Improved sanitation facilities include a flush toilet, ventilated improved pit, pit latrine with slab and composting toilet.
Elsewhere in the country, the PHCB numbers show a lot still needs to be done so that households have access to flush toilets.
Of the total 163,001 households enumerated, more than 36,000 households do not have access to flush toilets.
The 2017 census showed the mean household size to be 3.9 persons per household. This means, over 140,000 people, 19 per cent of the total population do not use flush toilets.
On the other hand, more than 25,000 households in the country share their toilets with other households. Sharing of toilets is relatively high in rural areas but Thimphu Thromde itself has over 4000 households who share their toilets with other households.
