Highlights
- Swachh Bharat mission officials declare Hyderabad 100% ODF
- GHMC declared the area ODF on August 16, but now have got centre approval
- Now, GHMC is working towards improving its rankings in Swachh Survekshan
New Delhi: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) which was declared open defecation free (ODF) in August last year by the civic body has now got an official nod from the centre. The Swachh Bharat Mission team conducted series of inspections in various parts of the city between December 27 and December 28 and after thorough verification declared the city ODF. Congratulating the people of the city, Minister of IT, Municipal Administration and Urban development, KT Rama Rao adds, “Swachh Bharat Mission has declared Hyderabad as ODF city. My compliments to Mayor & his team. Good Job @CommissionrGHMC @bonthurammohan.”
Swachh Bharat Mission has declared Hyderabad as ODF city. My compliments to Mayor & his team ???? Good Job @CommissionrGHMC @bonthurammohan
— KTR (@KTRTRS) January 3, 2018
Apart from Hyderabad, the team has also declared six other urban local bodies (ULBs) of the state — Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC), Miryalguda, Jangoan, Bellampally, Mancherial and Sadashivpet — as ODF. The certificates would be awarded to ULBs shortly.
The Toilet Report
According to the statement by the corporation, the city now has a total of 1,975 individual household latrines and 384 public and community toilets. In addition to this, 44 community toilets are under construction and tenders have been called for 25 more. Twenty-five She e-Toilets too are also under progress. She-e-toilet, is a smart women only toilet with facilities like have a western style toilet, a wash basin, a napkin-vending and incinerator unit and a voting machine.
Besides this, the GHMC has also convinced about 295 fuel stations and 390 hotels and restaurant owners to let general public use toilets in their premises.
The numbers have been verified by the special officers of the quality control division. They have also visited slums, schools, markets, and colonies managed by colony welfare associations, in four different parts of the city in order to check the ODF status. Apart from this, the quality control division officers also visited a railway station and a bus station.
Expressing his happiness, GHMC Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan added,
Achieving the ODF tag was not easy, now we will attempt to achieve the first place in the Swachh Survekshan 2018.
Apart from constructing toilets, the civic body is also taking various unique initiatives within the city in order to rank higher in this Survekshan. The civic body has planned to levy spot fines on defaulters who defecate or urinate in the open and litter. Currently, the GHMC workers are working on to finalise the penalty rates.
In an exclusive step, the corporation has also launched a campaign of ‘Swachh Namaskar’ in which all corporation members will greet everyone with a “Swachh Namaskar” – so, instead of saying hello in a traditional way, the officers will greet people by saying Swachh Namaste and then educate the people about all the swachh activities the corporation is doing and how they can help the corporation by actively participating in the cleanliness activities.
In Telangana, till date, a total of 36 urban local bodies have been declared as ODF and the target for the state to achieve ODF status is set for April 2018.
