Households in the district get their drinking water from diverse sources. From Table 8.10, majority of households (52.9%) rely on bore-hole/pump/tube well. The proportion in urban areas (49.7%) is lower, compared to rural (53.6%) for bore-hole/pump/tube well. About 25 percent of households use water from river/stream while 12.8 percent use unprotected wells. Most households (46.0%) use bore-hole/pump/tube well for domestic purposes. The urban to rural ratios are (41.8%) and (46.9%) respectively. Over 30 percent use river/stream for domestic activities while (12.5%) use unprotected wells.

Bathing and Toilet Facilities

The issue of waste disposal is very paramount as far as sanitation is concerned in any District. A well-organized and hygienic method of human waste disposal available in a dwelling unit is a critical indicator of the sanitary condition of the unit. Table 8.11 shows type of toilet and bathing facility used by household. The table indicates that majority of households (80.5%) in the District have no toilet facilities. The proportion in urban areas (57.6%) is lower compared to that in rural areas (85.4%). About 11 percent of households rely on pit latrine. Almost 60 percent of households have their own bathroom for exclusive use, shared separate bathroom in the same house constitute (16.3%) and private open cubicle (10.1%).

Method of Waste Disposal

Suitable waste management helps to prevent the spread of some types of infectious diseases and improves the quality of the environment. Table 8.12 shows the main method of solid and liquid waste disposal by type of locality in the District. About 41 percent of the population disposed of their solid waste by burning and 22.3 percent dumped solid waste indiscriminately. About 15.9 percent of households disposed of their waste by collection while 13.2 percent dumped them in the open space. Some households use public containers (2.4%) and burying (4.8%) as methods of waste disposal.

Table 8.12 indicates that almost 58 percent of the household population disposed their liquid waste by throwing them onto the street/outside. The urban to rural proportions are (66.3%) and (56.0%) respectively. About 23 percent throw it onto the compound and 10.7 percent dispose of it through drainage into a pit.