KALABURAGI: Koravi village in Hodebiranahalli gram panchayat, which flaunts the open defecation-free tag, has only 26 toilets for 350 houses. A recent visit by TNIE reporter to the village revealed that several residents still defecate in the open. A resident of Koravi village, Nagamma says there is no other way for villagers, except defecating in the open.
“Nav Badvarri Yappa, Sandas Kattaslikki Namballi Rokka Elladari (We are poor and we do not have money to construct toilets,” says Nilamma.
Another woman Narasamma says many people of the village are educated and are having knowledge about negative health impacts of open defecation.
“But we are helpless, officials are turning a blind eye to our requests for providing financial assistance to construct toilets. The panchayat has not constructed community toilets too,” she alleges.
CPM district secretary Sharanabasappa Mamashetty, who hails from Koravi, says in the records the entire Hodebiranahalli GP, including Koravi village, has been shown as open defecation-free, but there are hardly 26 houses which have toilets here.
“Some houses have constructed toilets on their own without taking financial assistance from the government. There are over 350 houses in Koravi village,” Sharanabasappa adds.
GP member Neelamma said though she is trying to get grants for Koravi village for the construction of toilets, officials were not responding to it. “Many people of the village have submitted applications for financial assistance for the construction of toilets. But as the entire GP was declared open defecation-free, GP officials cannot release financial assistance for the construction of toilets,” he added.
We are helpless: Executive officer
Executive officer of Chincholi taluk M D Moinoddin who spoke to TNIE, said in the state, toilet construction under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was taken up based on the basement survey conducted in 2012-13.
“We cannot comment on how the basement survey was done in 2012-13. As per the basement survey, we have constructed toilets in the houses where it was shown that there was no toilet. The population of the villages has grown and number of houses has also increased,” he said.