Jalpaiguri launches project to build toilets at ICDS centres

Jalpaiguri: The Jalpaiguri district administration is undertaking a significant initiative to address the lack of sanitation facilities at Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. Despite being constructed at government expense, many ICDS centre buildings were initially completed without toilets. To rectify this, the Panchayat and Rural Development department has allocated approximately Rs 2 crore for the construction of toilets across these centers in the district.

According to sources from the Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad, the survey work to identify the centres in need has been completed and tendering for toilet construction has commenced. The district administration aims to expedite the work to benefit the mothers and children who frequent these centers. Jalpaiguri district has a total of 3,936 ICDS centres. Of these, 2,784 centres have their own buildings, while the remaining centres operate from rented facilities. The ICDS department reports that toilets could not be built in 1,290 centres during the initial construction phase for various reasons.

This oversight forced mothers and staff to rely on the facilities of nearby houses, creating significant inconvenience. Tejaswi Rana, Additional District Magistrate (Zila Parishad), explained the process: “Following directives from higher authorities, we compiled a list of centres lacking toilets after an initial survey. We then conducted a second survey to assess the feasibility of constructing toilets at each location. Out of the 1,290 centres identified, tenders have been issued for 485 centres and construction is already underway. Some toilets have already been completed.

For centers with inadequate space for on-site toilets, alternative arrangements, including the potential construction of community toilets, will be considered. Jalpaiguri district is currently leading in this initiative compared to other districts.”