Thanks for reading with such an interest! You're a keen observer. I agree with all your reasoning regarding step-well & grinding millstones.

Open defecation has become a problem due to over-population and over-urbanization. Otherwise, I think it to be a good practice. Even in Indian toilets, all water that goes down the flush is wasted. We don't have sufficient STPs and this sewerage water pollutes rivers & underground water. Open defecation are more environment friendly and easier to access.

Can you imagine what happens when you don't find any public toilet in the urban settings and defecating in the open is impossible? Air, water and excreting are basic necessities of life and should be free everywhere. Personally, I find the call of the Nature to be more important and pressing than thirst for water. You can't hold that in the absence of a toilet!

Oh, I wasn't aware about the invention of flushing system by Indians. Thanks for telling me about it! How do you know so much about India?