Odisha second worst in rural sanitation after Goa: SBM report

BHUBANESWAR: Odisha is the second worst performing state after Goa under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) with 86.26 per cent toilet coverage and Kalahandi district is at the bottom of the list.

After the results were out, the state government on Tuesday assured the Centre to achieve open defecation-free status by October this year.

The state has to construct about 10.5 lakh individual household latrines (IHHLs) in the next three months to become ODF. 

While nine districts- Balasore, Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kandhamal, Sambalpur and Sonepur - have been declared ODF districts with 100 per cent coverage, seven districts are still struggling with less than 72 per cent households having toilets.

The seven poor performing districts are Keonjhar, Bhadrak, Nayagarh, Malkangiri, Mayurbhanj, Kendrapara and Kalahandi.

Union Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer reviewed SBM progress with Chief Secretary AP Padhi through video conference from New Delhi.

Interacting with the district collectors, Iyer assured all possible help from the Centre to achieve the mission target.

The Chief Secretary informed Iyer that progress of IHHL construction in four districts of Balangir, Jagatsingpur, Rayagada and Sundargarh is about 93 per cent while in 10 other districts it is 84 per cent.

“We have made substantial progress in comparison to October 2014, when the programme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As per the baseline survey in 2012-13, the state had only IHHL coverage of 12 per cent, one of the lowest in the country,” sources in the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department said.

Since the state started with a low base, it took some time to gather momentum for the construction of toilets.

Defecating in the open has been an age-old practice and persuading people to construct latrine in their house was a tough job.

“The most difficult aspect is to bring about behavioural change among rural people through a community approach to sanitation.

"Although the progress in the state has been slower compared to other states, we hope to not just achieve ODF status but also sustain it, which is more important,” the officer said.

According to the review, toilets in 68 lakh households have been completed.

Padhi asked Collectors having low coverage to ensure 100 per cent target by August 31 with geo-tagging.