Odisha sets Target to end Open Defecation by 2016-17
The Collectors of all districts have been asked to fix their own targets to be total open defecation free between December, 2016 to December, 2017. They have also been asked to make at least 5 to 15 GPs open defecation free by 15th August, 2015 and one block by October, 2015.
These instructions have been given over a video conference taken by Chief Secretary Sri Gokul Chandra Pati in secretariat conference hall today wherein Principal Secretary Rural Development Sri P.K. Mohapatra outlined the issues for discussion. Speaking to Collectors Chief Secretary said that open defecation is a serious health and environmental hazard.
He urged upon the collectors to focus on behavioral and attitudinal changes of the people towards toilet and sanitary practices. Sri Pati has emphasized on convincing the people about hazards of open defecation and what would be the benefits to them if they make their village open defecation free. Chief Secretary also directed collectors to adopt Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) approach and ensure active participation of CLTS volunteers, village community, Women Self Help Groups and individual beneficiaries in carrying forward the campaign.
Principal Secretary Sri Mohapatra asked the Collectors to take up construction of toilets in saturation mode not in scattered mode so that blocks can be made open defecation free one after another. Sri Mohapatra also directed the RWSS Executive Engineers of all districts to complete targets within scheduled time and has warned that failure to meet the target will be viewed seriously.
Revised payment procedure to individual beneficiaries has been issued as per the feed-back received from the Collectors. Collectors have been authorized to make payment either through District Water & Sanitation Mission or through BDOs as per their local conditions.
Available data shows that target has been fixed to construct 20 lakh toilets under rural sanitation campaign; and, accordingly targets have been fixed for districts as per preliminary base line survey. Collectors have been directed to cross check the base line survey data with field check and NPR data. They have also been directed to updated base line survey data in the web portal by 28th June. In the meanwhile 1500 CLT volunteers have been trained and engaged in various districts. Each Panchayat will be given one trained CLT volunteer for the purpose.
The Chief Executive Officer, State Water & Sanitation Mission Sri Abhaya Biswal said that steps are being taken to rope in Unicef and DFID support for success of the ODF campaign. It has been clarified in the Video conference that the APL households and de-functioned toilets in a GP can be covered under the present campaign if that GP can be made ODF within the scheduled time. Steps are being taken to declare some districts like Deogarh, Boudh and Sonepur total open defecation free by March, 2016.
Chief Engineer Sri Binod Shroff along with other senior officers of Rural Development department joined the video conferencing.