BHUBANESWAR:The State faces a challenging task of constructing nearly 32 lakh toilets in three months to get the open defecation-free (ODF) tag. Given the slow pace of toilet construction, the job appears to be a herculean one.“With the Centre advancing the deadline from October 2019 to December 2018, it will be an impossible task to meet the target. However, the State Government is fully geared up and efforts are on to cover all households with toilets,” said a senior officer of Panchayati Raj department.
Prior to the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014, only 12 per cent households (1.3 lakh houses) had individual households latrines (IHHL). The State has provided financial assistance to 42,09,683 families till September 11, 2018 for construction of toilets.
As per the base line survey of 2012-13, around 72 lakh households had no toilets. The number of households were later revised to 79 lakh. Around 50 lakh families have constructed toilets in their houses, the officer said. As per the results of Swachh Sarvekshan conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the State was placed third from the bottom, just above Bihar and J&K, in toilet construction.
The State Government received severe flak from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Odisha on Saturday for lagging in Swachh Bharat campaign parameters.Noting that rural cleanliness in Odisha was only 10 per cent in 2014, the Prime Minister said it has increased to 55 per cent but a lot more was needed to be done.
“I had told Naveenji about the importance of Swachhata and I once again request him to give cleanliness due importance,” Modi said and added that cleanliness is essential for good health.A field level officer associated with the programme said toilet construction, which had gained pace from 2016-17, got derailed due to natural barriers like rains. “We are running behind the target due to prolonged rainy season this year. We have a huge task in hand as the time is very short,” he said.
Only two out of 30 districts have been declared ODF after four years of the mission’s launch. The two districts are Deogarh and Jharsuguda. Another four districts - Balasore, Kandhamal, Sambalpur and Sonepur - will soon get the ODF tag.