By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Meghalaya has achieved marginal improvement in all sectors compared to a decade ago. However, a lot remains to be achieved as far as electrification and supply of drinking water is concerned.
Electrification process in the State has improved a bit in the last ten years but people are still forced to bear the brunt of load shedding.
Meghalaya till date has been able to achieve 60.9 per cent electrification out of the 5, 38,299 households in the State. The percentage of households with electricity in 2001 was 42.7 per cent.
According to the 2011 Census (Houselisting and Housing) data which was released here on Thursday, out of 4, 22,197 households in the rural areas the percentage of those not having any source of lighting is 0.9 per cent, which is an increase of 0.1 per cent from the 2001 figures.
In the urban areas out of 1, 16,102 households the percentage of households without any source of lighting has decreased from 0.5 per cent in 2001 to 0.3 per cent in 2011.
The Census figures also tell of another dismal story as far as the problem of open defecation is concerned, despite the fact that various government programmes have been initiated to improve the sanitary system in the State.
As per the census date of 2011, 34.3 per cent out of a total of 5, 38,299 households in the State still practice open defecation. In rural areas, the percentage of households engaging in open defecation stands at 43.1 per cent while it is 2.4 per cent in urban areas.
However, the number of households without a proper latrine has decreased from 48.8 per cent in 2001 to 37.1 per cent in 2011. The number of households in rural areas without a latrine is 46.1 per cent as against 59.9 per cent in 2001, while in urban areas the figure stands at 4.3 per cent as against 8.4 per cent in 2011.
Water accessibility remains a major area concern for the State as out of 5,38,299 households, only 39.3 per cent had access to tap water, while 25.4 percent are dependent on well water and another 5.4 per cent of the households had access to hand pumps/tube wells.
A significant 11.5 per cent of the households in the State are using untreated tap water.
As per the Census date, 5.4 per cent out of the total household had two-wheelers while an equal percentage of households owned a four-wheeler.
It may be reminded that figures were between 2.7 and 2.9 per cent from among the 4, 20,246 households in 2001.
Altogether 33.7 per cent of the households had television sets, an increase from 20.9 per cent in 2001. In rural areas, out of 4, 22,197 households 22.9 per cent of them had a television set.
Also, 7.6 of the households in the State had either a desktop computers or a laptop.