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35 urban local bodies to be ODF soon

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The Hindu       24.02.2017 

35 urban local bodies to be ODF soon

Open defecation in TS is 8.38 %, national average is 12.6 %

With the Government setting up a stiff deadline of making all the urban areas Open Defecation Free (ODF) in the next few months, some municipal bodies are to cross the goal-line this month itself. About 35 urban local bodies across the State out of the 72 are to be declared ODF soon.

Commissioner and Director of Municipal Administration T.K. Sreedevi said that rest of urban local bodies (ULBs) would be ODF before the Telangana Formation Day of June 2 as an action plan has been set in place for completing toilet construction including conversion of insanitary toilets.

“Half the population of Telangana lives in urban areas and there is an imperative need to make provision for toilets as open defecation - whether due to lack of awareness or attitudinal issues, is an obvious health hazard causing several communicable diseases and stunted growth among children. It also pollutes surrounding water bodies and air,” she pointed out.

Open defecation in Telangana urban is 8.38 % as compared to the national average of 12.6 %. Of the target of 1.64 lakh individual toilets and conversion of 52,567 insanitary ones; 69,613 and 6,178, respectively, have been completed. For public toilets, the target of 3,602, 2484 were done while for community toilets 1032 of 1297 were done.

About 12 ULBs are already ODF - Huzurabad, Jagityal, Huzurnagar, Suryapet, Gajwel, Siddipet, Madhira, Sattupalli, Achampet, Shadnagar, Bhongir and Ibrahimpatnam. About 18 are under the pipeline of doing so as works are in different stages and nine more are in the finishing stage.

Among these are - Korutla, Badangpet, Medchal, Boduppal, Peerzadiguda, Jalpally, Meerpet, Pedda Amberpet, Narsampet, Husnabad, Vemulavada, Kalwakurthy, Metpalli, Sadasivapet, Sircilla, Jilleguda and Nagarkurnool.

Ten best performing in remaining ULBs are: Armoor, Dubbaka, Bhainsa, Peddapallim Kollapur, Wanaparty, Manuguru, Mandamarri, Mancherial, Miryalguda. Bottom 10 are: Kamareddy, Khammam, Ramagundam, Warangal, Nirmal, Mahbubabad, Mahabubnagar, Nizamabad, Vikarabad and Andol-Jogipet.

Earlier, addressing a gathering of municipal officers, women self-help groups, sanitary workers and others at a one-day workshop to sensitise stakeholders on the mission, Dr. Sreedevi wanted municipal commissioners to ensure toilets are constructed, sanitation is maintained and there are no encroachments as it would lead to investments.

The Minister for Municipal Administration, K.T. Rama Rao, was very particular about the completion of the project within the time frame decided.

Commissioners were also told to tone up their websites and make them dynamic.