Hyderabad Goes Beyond ODF To Achieve ODF Plus Plus Status

New Delhi: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) achieved another landmark by, getting certified with the open defecation-free plus plus (ODF++) status. The achievement has come at a time of Swachh Survekshan 2019 (Also Read: Here’s How India Is Gearing Up For Swachh Survekshan 2019), a nationwide cleanliness survey that is accessing the swachh quotient of 4,237 towns and cities and 62 Cantonment Boards, covering around 40 crore people. The official declaration was made after the third party verification was done by the centre. This feat has been achieved by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) as they have been able to ensure that there is no open urination, open defecation in the city, moreover, the city has also been able to initiate scientific treatment of faecal sludge through Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).

Also Read: Star Of Swachh Survekshan 2018, Hyderabad Aims For No.1 Spot In The 2019 Clean India Survey

Giving thumbs up to the city and the team of swachh officials on this swachh success, Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao said,

Many congratulations Hyderabad!

Arvind Kumar, IAS, Principal Secretary Municipal, Urban Sector said,

“Hyderabad is declared as ODF++ by Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2019 having attained complete sanitation value chain including Faecal Sludge and Septic Management.”

Also Read: Swachh Survekshan 2019: Women Roped In To Raise Awareness On About Waste Segregation In Hyderabad

The city of Charminar has joined the league of Indore and Chandigarh now by attaining the tag of ODF++. Talking to NDTV about some of the initiatives taken by the corporation, Soma Bharat, Project Officer, Swachh Bharat Mission, GHMC, said,

To sustain the tag of open defecation free that Hyderabad achieved last year, GHMC has constructed different categories of toilets. In fact, Hyderabad is also one of the first cities in India to launch modern toilet facilities such as Loo Café and She Toilets that are armed with women-friendly facilities such as sanitary napkin vending machines, wifi, ATM, café services. The corporation has also decided to further improve the toilet facilities in the city by installing 175 Loo Cafés and 50 more She Toilets.

Apart from these toilets, the municipal corporation has made accessibility arrangements for the general public in toilets for free at 259 fuel stations and 280 restaurants in the city.

Mr Bharat adds,

The city has taken a lead by installing 18 Sewer Treatment Plants in such a way that it can facilitate co-treatment of septage. This modification was done by the corporation keeping the goal of ODF Plus Plus in mind and treating faecal waste effectively.

Now that the corporation has achieved the ODF ++ tag, in the ongoing Swachh Survekshan, GHMC will be able to add on 250 points straightaway, thereby, improving its chances to attain the No 1 spot.

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.