Kerala becomes third ODF state | Fusion - WeRIndia

Kerala has become the third Open Defecation Free (ODF) state in the country after Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim declared as ODF states in the past.

The announcement on the status of Open Defecation was made yesterday which was its foundation day as well. Kerala is also the most densely populated state in the country to achieve the status of ODF.

Pinarayi Vijayan, the Chief Minister of Kerala declared this news officially in a meeting that was held in Central Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram. He also felicitated district collectors and government officials for this breakthrough accomplishment.

With its 14 districts, 940 Gram Panchayats and 2117 villages, Kerala has declared as free from open defecation. Kerala has a population of approximately 3.5 crores. With its dense population, the state has achieved this status. Earlier, two states, Sikkim with a population of 6 lakhs and Himachal Pradesh with a population of 70 lakhs declared as Open Defecation Free states.

The state government with the cooperation of people in the state achieved this within a time span of three months as part of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) programme. 1,74,720 toilets were constructed in the state with the collective effort of voluntary groups, dedicated workers of Gram Panchayats, village extension officers etc.

Approximately Rs.98 crore was allotted to the state of Kerala for Swachh Bharat Mission to finish the project. Rs. 12000 was given to each beneficiary as a grant from Swachh Bharat campaign. Rs.3400 was also given to each of them from state government.

The ministers who participated in the meeting also emphasized on the need of effective waste management. They expected to focus on it in the following phases. Shri Parameswaran Iyer, Secretary, Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation participated in the meeting and assured the support of central government to the state in making it a complete clean state. He appreciated the efforts of state government to achieve the status of ODF.

Photo by Kunal Kalra on Unsplash (Free for Commercial Use)

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