An interesting article, perhaps for discussion, from Bloomberg www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-08-03/india-...-don-t-use-them.html

India’s Toilet Race Failing as Villages Don’t Use Them

Saunda is among 7,971 villages -- about 1 percent of India’s total -- labeled “clean” by the government in the year ended in March.

With little access to running water, government latrines typically consist of a large, concrete septic tank with a ceramic squat-toilet on top, enclosed by a cement or brick cubicle with a narrow door. The government says it has built 138 toilets in Mukimpur since February.

Sunita finds them disgusting.

“Locking us inside these booths with our own filth? I will never see how that is clean.” She points to the field. “Going out there is normal.”

I think it might be interesting to discuss why some people seem to prefer open defecation and how sanitisation systems might be set up to match these preferences. For example, does a toilet need a superstructure?