DINDIGUL: As many as 182 panchayat villages have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) scheme in Dindigul district. According to official records, out of the 288 panchayat villages in 14 revenue blocks of Dindigul, 182 villages achieved the ODF tag, and this roughly translates to 63% of the panchayat villages declared ODF in the district.
According to sources, the villages, which attained the ODF status, faced a tough time convincing elders, who are used to open defecation in fields, streams or abandoned farmlands. The local officials had roped in youngsters to educate and create awareness among them in this regard.
Speaking to TNIE, panchayat secretary K Thangavel of Thavasimadai, one of the 182 villages, said they had achieved 100% ODF last year, and had declared the same in the grama sabha meeting. "As per the 2011 census, there are 6,000 persons in our village.
A majority of the elderly are hesitant to use toilets as open defecation has been their habit for so long. However, we were able to convince by creating awareness about the unsafe disposal of faeces contaminating water bodies, triggering infections and drop in microbial resistance," he said.
Further, Kottur Panchayat Secretary K Pandiarajan said that their village, inhabited by around 9,000 residents, achieved the 100% ODF status two years back. "Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, almost all families received toilets and latrine facilities.
We educated the elders about the harmful effects of open defecation, with the help of educated youngsters. They were educated about its ill-effects on the well-being of residents, including mental health and economic productivity. When they got to know about how it contaminates drinking water sources and spreads diseases such as cholera, diarrhea and dysentery, they agreed to accept change," he added.
When contacted, an official from the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) told TNIE, "Swachh Bharat Mission was initiated in the district in 2014. Since then, several villages have declared themselves open defecation free, and field officials have been verifying the same.
Achieving ODF status involves bringing about a massive behavioural change among the rural masses. At present, there are 106 villages pending for the verification process. The delay is primarily due to the installation of soak pits in individual households, and installation of filter mediums in drainage pipes."