Reports revealed that the Indian government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Sri Lanka last week to build 3400 toilets in Batticaloa as part of a sanitation sector project, involving a Sri Lankan Rs. 300 million grant from the Indian government. Accordingly the MoU was signed by High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, Taranjit Singh Sandhu and the secretary to the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development and Rural Economy, Renuka Ekanayake.

Meanwhile market analysts outline that quoting a former BBC report it was revealed from Indian census and statistics in 2012 that nearly half of India's 1.2 billion people have no toilet at home (Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/ world-asia-india-17362837)

“Only 46.9% of the 246.6 million households have lavatories while 49.8% defecate in the open. The remaining 3.2% use public toilets” BBC report added.

On the contrary, analysts outline Sri Lanka has only a 20 million populace, and little over 5 million homes that could witness a toilet per each house, whilst even many Tamil workers, who immigrated under British colonial rule to Sri Lanka said to be working in plantations, and living in shanties that has toilets, and some poor people in the island nation are gifted with public taps and toilets build by the government of Sri Lanka.

Reports added that objective of the project to construct 3,400 toilets is to enhance public health and hygiene in Batticaloa District of Sri Lanka, and said to be part of Government of India’s continued efforts to assist and cooperate with Government of Sri Lanka in people-oriented development projects.

- Reporting by Devendra Francis