Sri Lanka, Nov. 3 -- Despite Sri Lanka's impressive progress in hygiene and sanitation, more than 13,000 families still defecate in open areas such as forests and beaches, according to the Department of Census and Statistics.

The latest Basic Information Report on Housing by District and Divisional Secretariat Divisions from the 2024 Population and Housing Census reveals that 0.2 percent of the country's 6,111,315 family units a total of 13,326 households continue to live without access to toilet facilities.

The report also shows that 92.2 percent of households have private toilets, while 5.8 percent share facilities with other families. Around 0.2 percent rely on public toilets, and another 0.2 percent use open areas.

Colombo District...