HYDERABAD: Peddapalli district received another distinction at the national level, as it bagged the 'Swacchatha Darpan Award 2020' by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. This is the fourth national award in a row received under the Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM) that the district had received.
The district received 100 percent score on a wide range of sanitation parameters. These include construction and maintenance of individual and community toilets, people’s participation, information education communication (IEC) and open defecation free plus (ODF+) and solid and liquid waste management interventions such as providing dumping yards segregation of plastic waste, community and individual soakpits, among others.
Peddapalli district collector A Sridevasena, who received the award, gave a presentation at New Delhi on Sunday on the initiatives the authorities implemented in the villages to improve sanitation. Bollywood actor and founder of Paani Foundation, Aamir Khan, was present on the occasion and shared his experience on water and sanitation through Satyameva Jayate programme and Paani Foundation.
The initiatives include 100 percent coverage of all villages with community toilet blocks for men and women, running water, overhead tank, wash basins, signboards and piped water supply from source. The district became the country’s first open drain free district and saw a 65 per cent reduction of dengue cases as compared to last year.
Further, the authorities took up plastic reduction and implemented a ban single-use plastics and provided alternatives of cloth and non-woven bags through SHG production units. Plogging was also taken up by public representatives and people.
Sridevasena explained the ‘Panchasutralu’ (five-point plan) the authorities implemented in the villages to improve sanitation. As part of the plan, every household constructed individual toilets and community toilets and authorities geo-tagged them. Open drains, water recharge pits, solid waste management systems and compost pits were constructed in every village.