City declared open defecation-free

Ravneet Singh

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Tribune News Service

Patiala, October 2

The city has finally been declared open defecation-free (ODF). A team of officials from the Quality Council of India (QCI) visited the city on Monday and assessed the progress made and provisions provided for the people in the city.

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday tweeted, “…Punjab declared an Open Defecation Free State. Rural Punjab became ODF in March 2018 and today all urban areas certified ODF…”

As many as 689 individual household latrines have been constructed in various areas in the city against 1,200 applications received since 2014. The city has 27 seated community toilets at four places and 345 seated public toilets at 77 locations.

A team of QCI officials visited slum, residential, commercial, school areas and other locations, including Bhim Colony, Rohri Kut Mandi, Balmiki Colony, Guru Nanak Nagar, Leela Bhawan market, Zila Parishad market, Rainbow Public School, Government Middle School and PEPSU Road Transport Corporation bus stand in the city and declared all these places ODF-free.

According to the Municipal Corporation (MC) officials, the team checks if all residents in the city have access to toilets. In case of lack of toilets, the MC under the grants given by the Centre needs to provide toilets in a 500-metre distance of residential areas and 1-km distance of commercial areas.

The team also assesses if proper cleanliness is maintained in toilets, men and women toilets are separate and carry labels and if dustbins are provided in women toilets. MC officials said they would provide more community and public toilets in certain areas as per the requirements in the next two to three months.

Of the total grant of Rs 2 crore allocated to the city by the Central government under the ODF component of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the MC has received Rs 1.04 crore for the community and public toilets. It has also received bids for construction of community toilets at four sites in the city, while bids for another 16 sites are yet to be received.

MC Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Khaira said, “Patiala, along with the whole state, has been given ODF status. We will, however, continue to upgrade the facilities for the benefit of the people.”

Sanitation coverage 

A team of the Quality Council of India (QCI) officials visited slum, residential, commercial, school areas and other locations, including Bhim Colony, Rohri Kut Mandi, Balmiki Colony, Guru Nanak Nagar, Leela Bhawan market, Zila Parishad market, Rainbow Public School, Government Middle School and PEPSU Road Transport Corporation bus stand in the city and declared all these places ODF-free.