This District In Telangana Fights Open Defecation With A Unique Mantra – Build Toilets Or Face Power And Water Cut

New Delhi: Three years later after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched, Telangana still struggles to meet its target of attaining Open Defecation Free status. Till date, state’s rural sanitation coverage has reached 55.39% from 30.83% in 2014. To improve the performance of the state and help it achieve 100 per cent toilet coverage, Khammam district has come up with a new mantra – households without toilet facilities will not get electricity and water supply. This is their way to make villages in the districts open defecation free (ODF).

Also Read: Even After Relentless Efforts To Make Cities And Villages Open Defecation Free, Telangana Still Struggles To Meet Its Targets

The district needs to construct more than 40,000 individual household latrines (IHHLs) and till date, a little over 18,000 toilets have been built. Khammam district stands ninth in terms of construction of the sanctioned IHHLs under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in the entire State and even after implementing a slew of campaigns for eradicating open defecation, the ODF scenario has shown a slow progress. Now, in a bid to achieve total sanitation and meet the target of ODF, these new tough measures are being undertaken along with other multi-pronged strategies like behavioural change campaigns and campaigns where swachh officials go door to door and educate people on the importance of having a toilet.

The district aims to meet the ODF target by November 14, confirms the official. In the eagerness to declare the district ODF, the authorities have currently disconnected power and water supply of 32 houses in Rajeswarapuram village, similarly, water supply to some households in Komatlagudem and Bopparam villages have been stopped. The authorities have also issued notices to villagers of Timmenenipalem and have asked them to construct toilets on priority; if they fail to do so then their households will not get power and water supply.

Telengana has so far declared, around 2 thousand villages (2,466) out of 10 thousand (10,434) and four out of 31 districts ODF. And, the state’s overall target of achieving 100 per cent sanitation has been set for April 2018.