Chhendipada: The villages of Chhendipada block in Angul district are open defecation free villages. This achievement is earning accolades for the block administration. On the other hand, Chhendipada town in the same district is facing criticism for not having public toilets.
The block office, Odisha Livelihoods Mission (OLM) office, the district court and the bus stand in the town don’t have a public toilet. The lack of toilets forces hundreds of people visiting these places on a daily basis to relieve themselves in the open.
Notably, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department is constructing community toilets at different places in Chhendipada block. So far, two such toilets at Chhendipada and one each at Bagadia, Koshala, Bayani shrine at Patrapada and Jarapada have been constructed.
There is a community toilet in the daily market campus. But this single toilet fails miserably to address the problems hundreds face on a daily basis. Also, the persons who visit the block office, OLM office, the JMFC court and the bus stand cannot use the public toilet at the daily market as it is far away.
The women representatives visiting for official purposes use the office toilets. However, other women visitors have to walk to the Narendra tank which is one kilometre away from the block office to answer nature’s call. Similarly, women coming for work to the OLM office and the court have to go to a nearby field for relieving themselves in the open.
Officials however, tend to look the other way instead of solving the problem. The local residents have urged the administration to construct a toilet at each of the above mentioned places.
Narrating the problem, Chhendipada panchayat sarpanch, Sarojini Behera said the block office does not have a community toilet. So the women representatives are using the toilet attached to the conference hall. However, other women visitors face problems as they cannot use the same toilet.
Echoing the same feeling, president, Chhendipada Bar Association, Padmacharan Majhi said the administration is treating women with disrespect. Construction of community toilets at the block office, OLM office and the court premises will solve the problem.
When asked, Chhendiapada BDO Biswanath Sahu said there have been proposals for community toilets at the block office, the court and the OLM office. We are trying our level best to get these toilets completed as soon as possible. Once constructed, the problems facing by the women will come to an end, he added.
PNN
