India, Nov. 24 -- Sanitation is a civic duty, a discipline that reflects the cultural ethos of the public and policymakers in a nation. While India shows promising numbers in terms of GDP and is on its way to becoming the third-largest economy in the world, it is ironic that it still grapples with fundamental challenges of cleanliness and hygiene.

Dirty environments and surroundings carry social, economic, and health costs, besides tarnishing the national image and discouraging foreign tourism and investment.On the path to becoming a developed nation, the first criterion is infrastructure development, along with its maintenance, both in terms of long-term sustainability and cleanliness.

While large funds are allocated every year to new ...