BHUBANESWAR: With only 35 per cent of households in Odisha having toilets, the State Government has a real challenge to achieve the target under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
As per the baseline survey of 2012-13, as many as 79,81,980 of the total 90,20,107 households in the State had no toilets. Only 11.51 per cent of the households had latrines.
However, the number of households having toilets has increased to 31,53,618 by the end of November, 2016 which is 35 per cent of the total households.
The State Government has a massive task in hand to ensure that the remaining 58,66,489 households have toilets by the end of 2018-19. Supply of safe drinking water and sanitation programme under the flagship SBM in rural areas was reviewed at a State level workshop jointly chaired by Chief Secretary AP Padhi and Union Secretary in Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Parameswaran Iyer here on Tuesday.
Of 6,234 gram panchayats in the State, 106 were declared open defecation free (ODF) in 2015-16. The State Government has set a target to convert another 1,961 panchayats free from open defecation by end of the current fiscal.
Angul is the only district in the State which has achieved the unique distinction of ODF. Three more districts - Deogarh, Balasore and Gajapati - are in the race to achieve the ODF tag, said Rural Development Secretary MS Padhi.
Padhi said the State Government has set a target to construct 26 lakh toilets by end of this financial year. The work is underway in a mission mode, he added. The Panchayati Raj Department has been given a target for construction of five lakh toilets under rural housing schemes like Indira Awas Yojana, Biju Pucca Ghar and Mo Kudia.
The Centre has so far released Rs 988 crore out of its budgetary provision of Rs 1,685 crore while the State Government has made a provision of Rs 1,123 crore to achieve the target of this year, said an official. The scheme is being implemented with Central and State funds with a ratio of 60:40. The Government is providing Rs 12,000 to a household to construct toilet.