Rural toilet survey to help refurbish facilities

China will mobilize counties to research and catalogue the number, location and model of all toilets in rural areas in an attempt to identify issues that hamper a nationwide refurbishment of toilets, Economic Daily reported on Tuesday.

The study will cover household and public toilets, as well as those at tourist sites.

The latest measures were announced at a meeting held by the CPC Central Committee's Leading Group on Rural Work, the Ministry of Agricultural and Rural Affairs, and the National Health Commission. It was held in Zibo, East China's Shandong province on Tuesday.

In addition, the country will take a scientific approach to devise construction plans and carefully choose renovation standards.

Other measures highlighted at the meeting included sharing pilot project experiences, enhancing technology support, forming maintenance plans and improving treatment of excrement.

Han Changfu, minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said at the gathering that some economically backward and remote mountainous areas in the central and western parts of the country still see a lack of clean public toilets.

He added that some regions have failed to tailor refurbishment measures to the local situation and encourage the public to take part.

One striking issue is a shortage of technology to upgrade toilets in frigid areas at high altitude and facilities in extremely dry regions, Han said.

Since China's toilet revolution began in 2015, about 53 percent of villages in the country have fully or partially completed the task of upgrading facilities in public toilets.

The Plan for Rural Revitalization (2018-22) aims to achieve an 85 percent prevalence of clean toilets in rural areas by 2020.