Question

Which state in India is the first State to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage?

• A. Andhra Pradesh
• B. Karnataka
• C. Sikkim
• D. Manipur

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The correct option is (C): Sikkim.

Answer 2

The question asks which Indian state was the first to reach 100 percent sanitation coverage. Sanitation coverage here refers to every household having access to a toilet, part of India's push against open defecation. Let's check each option.

1. Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh made progress on sanitation over the years but was not the first state to be declared fully covered.
2. Karnataka: Karnataka has run large sanitation drives, yet it reached full coverage well after the state that holds the "first" title.
3. Sikkim: Sikkim was declared the first state in India to achieve 100 percent sanitation coverage, a milestone it reached in 2008 under India's Total Sanitation Campaign, helped by its small population and strong local government involvement.
4. Manipur: Manipur has also worked on sanitation coverage, but it did not achieve full coverage before Sikkim did.

Sikkim's early and complete rollout of household toilets under the sanitation campaign is what earned it the distinction of being first.

Therefore, the correct answer is Sikkim.

Answer 3

The question asks which Indian state first achieved 100 percent sanitation coverage, meaning every household in the state had access to a toilet. Looking at when each of these states made progress under India's sanitation campaigns clarifies the timeline.

1. Andhra Pradesh: Andhra Pradesh has invested heavily in sanitation infrastructure over the years, but its much larger population and rural spread meant full coverage was reached considerably later than the state that holds the "first" distinction.
2. Karnataka: Karnataka similarly ran extensive sanitation programmes, but again its scale and population size meant full household coverage took longer to achieve than in smaller states.
3. Sikkim: Sikkim's small population, compact geography, and effective local governance allowed it to complete household toilet construction well ahead of larger states, and it was formally declared open-defecation-free with 100 percent sanitation coverage around 2008, the first Indian state to reach that milestone.
4. Manipur: Manipur also worked toward full sanitation coverage, but it reached that milestone only after Sikkim had already achieved it.

Sikkim's smaller scale allowed its sanitation programme to reach every household years before the larger states in this list managed the same feat.

Therefore, the correct answer is Sikkim.