Massive drive launched in Burdwan to end open defecation

To put an end to open defecation, a massive drive has been launched in Burdwan district along with in several others districts which will be declared as an open defecation free district (ODF) by 2017-18.

The drive in Laudoha village under Durgapur-Faridpur block was launched under the supervision of the District Magistrate, Saumitra Mohan on Saturday morning. He along with the members of the morning nazardari team visited the village and told them to stop open defecation.

Along with Burdwan, South 24 Parganas, South and North Dinajpur, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri, and Darjeeling will also be declared open defecation free district by 2017-18.

The state Panchayat and Rural development department have chalked out an elaborate scheme to make all the villages in the state, open defecation free by October 2, 2019.

The state government observes April 30 as Nirmal Bangla Divas. However, it could not be held this year because of the Assembly election so, it is likely to be held on September 30 before which Hooghly, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore are likely to be declared ODF districts.

It may be mentioned that Nadia has become the country’s first ODF district.

Subrata Mukherjee, State Panchayat minister had said in the Assembly that in 2016-17, 12,00,000 IHHL toilets would be constructed along with 500 sanitary complexes. During this period, 500 solid waste management projects would also be finished.

It may be recalled that before Swachh Bharat mission was launched by the Prime Minister in 2014, the state Panchayat and rural development department had launched Nirmal Bangla Mission and Subrata Mukherjee, while addressing a meeting in Nadia which was attended by senior state government officials had said that the District Magistrates should take a pledge to make the districts ODF.

Along with the construction of new toilets, the department has also taken up an elaborate scheme to repair the old toilets that had come up before the launch of Swachh Bharat mission.