ISAS Insights

Can open defecation (OD) and its ill-effects on public health be contained through the construction of toilets? The evidence seems to suggest not. While India has made considerable progress in developing part of the physical infrastructure to deal with this challenge, deeprooted habits and limitations in the design of toilets and associated sanitation infrastructure are constraining progress. This paper contends that, although the supply of toilets is an essential cog in the wheel, attention needs to be paid to issues that constrain the demand for toilets. Can nudges help with the transition to a society rid of OD?