India accounts for 58 per cent of all open defecations in the world and the problem needs to be addressed on a war footing to improve public health, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said today.

Seeking an increased fund allocation to address the issue, Ramesh said there are "pitfalls" in the existing model and called for public investment in sanitation.

Addressing a workshop of state secretaries in-charge of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation, Ramesh said sanitation programmes are the "most severely under-funded" programme in India.

"58 per cent open defecations in the world are in India. And the next is in China, which is about six or seven per cent. So, we account for 58 per cent of all open defecations in the world. This is the magnitude of the challenge we have. We have to address this issue on a war footing," Ramesh said.

Between the Centre and states, the total amount being spent for sanitation is only Rs 2000 crore a year. While the Centre spends Rs 2000 crores, the total allocation of the states to address the issue is a megre Rs 400 crore, he said.

"If you are going to make India an open defacation-free and if you are looking at the backlog of what we are trying to achieve, I think, this is a pitfall. Very significant and foremost challenge is to very significantly step up public investment in sanitation," Ramesh said.

The Minister said such a move will have multiplied effects on public health, environment and women's dignity.

Claiming he was going to make a "fundamental" change in the way government looks at sanitation, Ramesh said his personal view is that "we must do away with individual toilet approach to Nirmal Gram approach" to address the issue.