Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Birender Singh has said that sanitation coverage in the country has improved a lot after the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission. Delivering the inaugural address at the Conference on Innovative Financing in Sanitation Sector in New Delhi on Tuesday, Mr Singh said, according a survey report of National Sample Survey Organization, the sanitation coverage in the country was just over 40 per cent in 2002 and it has improved to more than 49 per cent now.<br/><br/>He said, in the first year of Swachh Bharat Mission 8.8 million toilets were constructed against the expectation of 6 millions.<br/><br/>He said, till now, 14.7 million toilets have been constructed.<br/><br/>He said, still more needs to be done as 50 per cent of rural households in the country have no access to toilets. <br/><br/>Mr Singh said, sanitation is closely linked with health and poverty. Quoting a report, he said, the impact of sanitation in India is 244 trillion and it is 6.4 per cent of GDP.<br/><br/>He added that economic benefits of investing in sanitation is far greater any social welfare schemes.<br/><br/>