Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to declare
India "open-defecation free" on Wednesday but despite huge progress there was scepticism about his bold claim.
Experts say millions still lack access to a toilet, and that because of old habits many of the tens of millions of the new facilities that have been built are not even being used.
Modi made his "latrines for all" pledge when he first took office in 2014 and was set to make his announcement on Wednesday evening to coincide with the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, an icon not just for Indian independence but also sanitation.