State declared open defecation-free

Tribune News Service

Shimla, October 28

Himachal Pradesh was today declared open-defecation free (ODF), a first amongst the big category states in the country, making it eligible for award under the Rs 9,000 crore World Bank fund meant for recognizing the efforts of states achieving milestones in cleanliness.

The declaration of Himachal becoming the second state after Sikkim and the first among big category states to become ODF was made by Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, Union Rural Development Minister Narender Singh Tomar, Union Health Minister JP Nadda and Secretary and Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Parmeshvaran Iyer.

Lauding the efforts of Himachal, Tomar said it was creditable that state had achieved this target. “The fact that HP has become ODF makes the state eligible for the award from the World Bank which has kept aside a sum of Rs 9,000 crore for states doing a good job in declaring itself ODF and proper solid waste management,” said Tomar.

The union minister hoped that Himachal would also take lead in disposal of solid and liquid waste management soon. He congratulated the Chief Minister for making Himachal the most progressive state and for community-led total sanitation drive adopting bio-digester techniques.

The Chief Minister congratulated the people of the state who supplemented the cause of the government in its mission for achieving the feat. “It would not have been possible without the active support of the people of the state, who took it up as a movement,” Virbhadra Singh. He said Sikkim was the first state to achieve the distinction of becoming ODF, but it was in the small category states.

“We are very fortunate to become the second state leaving behind Kerala, which was also in the race and I suppose would be declared ODF after four days on November 1 on the occasion of Kerala Day,” the Chief Minister said. He added that he insisted that the Union Minister should somehow make it to Shimla for the ODF declaration so that Himachal takes the lead.

Union Health Minister, JP Nadda congratulated the state for achieving the rare feat six months before the stipulated target. He said that the Central government would share the experience of the Himachal Government and the sustainable mechanism adopted by them with other states. He said the Union Health Ministry would be keen to launch a joint programme with the state government to mitigate water-borne diseases in the state.

Secretary, Rural Development, Himachal Pradesh Onkar Sharma in his address revealed that all 12 districts, 78 development blocks, 3,226 panchayats and 18,465 villages have been declared ODF. He said that information, education and communication programmes by the department were given the much-needed impetus from September 28 to October 20, 2016 to achieve the target of total sanitation and astonishing results were witnessed in the direction of making the state ODF.