Chhendipada: Out of 34 panchayats in Chhendipada block of Angul district, 25 panchayats are declared as ‘open-defecation-free’ panchayats. But the real pictures tell different stories.
There are 34 panchayats in Chhendipada block. While Swachh Bharat Mission is yet to be implemented in four panchayats due to coal mines problems, each household in the rest 30 panchayats has a toilet.
The District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) has declared 25 panchayats as ‘open-defecation-free’ panchayats. But there are many such beneficiaries in as many as 120 villages that are yet to get any benefit from the Swachh Bharat Mission.
And those who have toilets under the mission alleged that their toilets are of extremely low quality. Going to describe about the condition of their toilets, these beneficiaries alleged that their toilets are in dilapidated condition, with walls of many already caved in.
Due to low quality construction work, their walls collapsed within one month of their construction. They ascribed the failure of the mission to the unholy nexus between the contractors and the employees.
In some villages, people have toilets but are not using them. Lack of awareness is blamed for this. A tribal-dominated Godarasahi of Barasahi panchayat can be taken as a case in point.
A peep into the toilets will make you realise how ignorant the residents are. They are using these toilets as their store rooms and still go out to relieve themselves in the open.
Like these tribal people, there are many people in the 25 ODF panchayats who are still not aware of what the health-related problems are they may face from defecation in open.
Yet, there are plaques at the end of these villages announcing that the villages are ODF villages. “The residents of Bahalsahi panchayat have toilets under Swachh Bharat Mission.
But the toilets of over 30 beneficiaries are lying halfconstructed for six months now. So they are forced to go outside for defecation,” rued Durgacharan Mohapatra, a Bahalsahi resident.
Informing about the situation of his village, Mukli Pradhan, a resident of Shimilipal village, said, “Swachh Bharat Mission has not been implemented in Shimilipal village.
So, they don’t have the facility of using toilets in their households. To defecate, they go to open fields or farmlands, covering a distance of at least one kilometre.”
Expressing his concern about the condition of Swachh Bharat Mission, general secretary, district BJP unit, Sudeep Kumar Gadnayak said District Water and Sanitation Mission has appointed motivators to implement Swachh Bharat Mission in the villages.
What makes the matters worse is that many of these motivators double up as contractors, leaving the quality of the work a lot to be desired.
Pointing out the reason why the contractors are getting away with the murder, a resident of Kathapal village, Karunakar Biswal said, “The beneficiaries are not being made aware of what should be the quality of the toilets they are getting under Swachh Bharat Mission. The contractors are cashing in on it. Since these ignorant beneficiaries are not monitoring the construction work, it becomes easier for the contractors to take a cut of the sanctioned money.”
When contacted, block development officer (BDO), Chhendipada, Sanjay Kumar Acharya said the left out beneficiaries will be included in the fresh survey.
“And the people who use their toilets for different purposes and going outside for defecation are to be made aware of the benefits of using toilets,” he added.
PNN
