ROURKELA:  Rourkela  was declared open defecation free (ODF) on Monday.
To achieve the ODF status, the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) roped in six women SHGs from slums at Bandamunda, Nayabazar, Koelnagar and Panposh areas and signed deals for maintenance and operation of community toilets in their localities.

At a function of the RMC held at Uditnagar High School on Monday, RMC Commissioner Rashmita Panda declared the RMC limits comprising 40 Wards free from open defecation. As many as 64 community toilets and 53 public toilets have been constructed. Of the target to construct 5,186 Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs), 4,290 are in use after completion. The rest 896 IHHLs are nearing completion.