The World Bank has approved a 1.5 billion dollar loan to India for its ambitious 'Clean India' campaign to support the government's efforts to improved rural sanitation and end the practice of open defecation by 2019. The loan, to be disbursed over a five-year period, will be used for the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Support Operation Project.<br/><br/>As per World Bank statistics, of the 2.4 billion people who lack access to improved sanitation globally, more than 750 million live in India, with 80 per cent living in rural areas. Another 25 million dollars will be provided by the World Bank as technical assistance to build the capacity of select State governments in implementing community-led behavioural change programmes targeting social norms to help ensure widespread use of toilets by rural households.