Chhatrapur: Despite hard-handed stand of the district administration like denial of ration to 20 families for defecating in open and goals set under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the district is yet to become open defecation-free (ODF), a report said.
According to sources, after reaching the target of constructing toilets in rural areas under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBMG), Ganjam district was declared open defecation-free earlier.
However, the clean-India mission seems far away from reality. Despite provision of toilets made available by the government to villagers here, most of the families do not use toilets. In order to reach the target, toilets of low quality are being constructed.
On the other hand, several rural households in the district do not have toilets. After conducting a baseline survey of beneficiaries in Ganjam district, 3,56,788 toilets were constructed and 100% target was met.
Later on, it was found that 41,513 more toilets are required to be constructed out of which construction of only 30,976 toilets has been completed so far. In such a situation, a second survey has revealed that, another 21,587 beneficiaries need to have toilets.
The district administration has set fresh targets to construct 32,124 toilets, the district rural water and sanitation mission (RWSS) sources said. However, as a target was set for construction of 4,19,888 toilets in different households of this district, only 3,87,764 were completed.
On the charge of delay in completion of toilet construction works, the district administration issued show-cause notices to 32 junior engineers of 16 blocks about a month back.
The scenario is said to have improved a little after aggressive action of district administration. Precisely, construction of toilets needed at the households under different blocks include Aska-888, Beguniapada-2930, Belguntha-866, Bhanjanagar-1718, Buguda-1625, Chhatrapur-365, Chikiti-1729, Dharakote-997, Digapahandi-340, Ganjam-946, Hinjili-1090, Jagannathprasad-1073, Kabisuryanagar-2103, Khallikote-864, Kukudakhandi-783, Patrapur-2943, Polasara-983, Rangeilunda-1316, Sanakhemundi-1373, Purushottampur-1229, Sheragad-1991 and Sorada-907, Ganjam RWSS sources informed.
Extensive public awareness campaigns need to be organised in the district for successful implementation of the programme. Instead of going by the official reports, the district unit of the water and sanitation department should verify quality standard of toilets as well as expedite toilet construction works, local intelligentsias opined.
