Open-Defecation Free Telangana Likely By Oct 2018

Chief Secretary to the State government S P Singh said that seven districts in Telangana would become free from open defecation by March 31, this year.

S P Singh, along with Union Drinking water and Sanitation Secretary Parameshwaran, held a video conference at Secretariat, and directed District Collectors to take the necessary measures to expedite the transition, and urged them to involve the public in the works.

He also instructed them to complete the target of constructing the proposed number of toilets. Under Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to transform the State into a open-defecation free region by October 2, 2018, Singh asked the Collectors to monitor the program regularly.

He also asked them to get donations from voluntary organizations and loans from Stree Nidhi scheme. On pilot basis, seven districts would achieve the target by March 31, he said.

As per reports, of the 44,84,446 families in the State, only 20,10,803 houses have functioning toilets and the rest 25,25,230 houses do not.

Against 8,695 village panchayats, 1,387 achieved ODF, and Singh appreciated the Collectors for it. He asked them to see to that water and sanitation committees and Sarpanches were involved in the process of creating awareness among people.

He urged Parameshwaran to provide the necessary funding under Swacch Bharat Mission to reach the goal.

Parameshwaran appreciated that Telangana government achieved better results in Swacch Bharat Mission than most State, and expressed hope that other States would replicate and study Telangana's practice of solid and liquid waste management.

The Central officer instructed the State's Collectors to address field level problems, maintain quality in construction of toilets, ensure that they were used properly and transfer the subsidy amount directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.