Based
on the undertakings given by the corporators from different wards, the
Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has declared the city of
Hyderabad as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The preliminary
announcement that all the 150 wards of the city were ODF, came on
Wednesday, on which the GHMC Commissioner has invited objections,
complaints, and suggestions, if any, to be submitted in written form
before August 28.
Under the Swachh Survekshan Mission initiative
of the central government, the GHMC had begun to construct individual
and public toilets wherever necessary.
A total of 1975 individual
household latrines were constructed, apart from 384 public and community
toilets. Wherever space was a problem community toilets were built, and
where the location is under dispute, pre-fabricated toilets were
installed.
Of the 384 public/community toilets, 135 were built in
Build-Operate-Transfer mode, 109 were pre-fabricated, 46 were by Sulabh,
17 were She e-Toilets, and 20 were community toilets.
In addition to these, 44 community toilets are under construction under the BOT mode, and tenders have been called for 25 more.
Twenty-five She e-Toilets too are under progress, a statement from the corporation said.
Besides,
the GHMC has convinced about 295 fuel stations and 390 hotels and
restaurant owners to open the toilets on their premises for use by
general public.
Several awareness programmes are being conducted
at circle and zonal levels for arresting open urination, besides display
of posters at the public toilets, open defecation/urination spots to
sensitise the public. In a few cases where people are not utilising the
toilets despite availability, they are being garlanded and fines are
being levied. A total of 225 such instances were fined, and an amount of
Rs. 38,120 has been collected since April, 2016, the statement said.
