Chhattisgarh: 8,582 villages becomes 'open defecation free', targets to become an ODF state by October 2018

The Chhattisgarh government also announced 4,869 gram(village) panchayats, 33 development blocks and two districts(out of 27) as open defecation free (ODF). As many as 8,582 villages have so far been declared 'open defecation free' in Chhattisgarh, which is targeting to becoming an ODF state by October 2018.

"The Prime Minister's 'Clean India Mission' (rural) isyielding exciting results in the state. Within just about two years of launch of the drive, we have made two districts along with 33 development blocks open defecation free," a senior official from Chhattisgarh's Panchayat and Rural Development Department said.

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The state has 10,971 gram panchayats. While 8,582villages under 4,869 gram panchayats have so far been declaredas ODF, the aim is to cover remaining 11,127 villages of 6,102gram panchayats by October 2, 2018, he said. Bedsides, of the 90 Vidhayak (MLA) Adarsh Grams(adopted by legislators in their constituency to develop intomodel villages), 67 villages were declared as ODF.

Similarly,15 model villages under Saansad (MP) Adarsh Gram scheme havealso been made open defecation free, he said. "Notably, the Centre has set the target under 'Swachh Bharat Mission' to declare the entire country as ODF by November 2, 2019, but Chief Minister Raman Singh is expectingto achieve the target a year before in 2018 in the state,keeping in view the enthusiastic response from people towards the mission," the official said.

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As per official statistics, toilets have so far beenconstructed in atleast 15,79,102 households (in rural areas)under both 'Clean India Mission' and the MNREGA scheme.

Around Rs 497.53 crore have been spent in the currentand previous financial years for the purpose, he said. All the concerned departments, including schooleducation, health, women and child development and publichealth engineering, besides panchayat and rural developmentofficials, have been asked to work in coordination to scalethe target within the stipulated time, he said.

Moreover, public awareness campaigns are being held continuously in villages to encourage the people to build toilets in their houses, the official added.