HYDERABAD: It was a festival of awards for Telangana at the Swachh Bharat Diwas celebrations organised in New Delhi on Sunday when the State was presented with 13 awards under ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen’ as well as an award for regulatory functionality of tap connections in rural areas under the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen,’ taking the tally of honours to 14.
The Centre honoured Telangana with the first rank for its exemplary performance in the ‘regulatory’ parameter of the functionality of tap connections in rural areas among the States having more than 60 per cent tap connection coverage. The award was given under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Mission Bhagiratha team led by ENC Krupakar Reddy received the award from Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Shekhawat. Telangana also secured the top award in ‘Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2021-22’ in the large States category. Jagtial stood second and Nizamabad third at the national level in the overall top districts category, whereas Nizamabad stood second and Bhadradri-Kothagudem third in the south zone overall top districts category.
Telangana also bagged the third rank in Sujalam 1.0 and second rank in Sujalam 2.0 in the grey water management campaign by creating 1,31,979 household and community level soak-pits in Sujalam 1.0, and 3,31,987 household, community level and institution level soak-pits in Sujalam 2.0 100-day campaigns.
Telangana also won five awards for creating awareness among the communities with innovative wall paintings on going outdoor defecation free (ODF) Plus, in general, and specific ODF Plus components.
Among those awards, the State received the first rank in spreading awareness on biodegradable waste management, first rank in GOBARdhan, first rank in plastic waste management, first rank in grey water management, and first rank in faecal sludge management -- all through attractive and innovative wall paintings.
In the national film competition category for gram panchayats showcasing their successful journey going from ODF to ODF Plus through a documentary, Nukalampadu gram panchayat of Enkur Mandal in Khammam district has achieved the second rank at the national level. Telangana documented the journey of 313 villages which went from ODF to ODF Plus.
Nukalampadu’s documentary could be viewed at https://youtu.be/xkNFBOZjabY
Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Secretary Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Panchayat Raj Commissioner Hanumantha Rao received the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ awards from President Droupadi Murmu.