Based on the undertakings given by the corporators from different wards, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation has declared the city of Hyderabad as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
The preliminary announcement that all the 150 wards of the city were ODF, came on Wednesday, on which the GHMC Commissioner has invited objections, complaints, and suggestions, if any, to be submitted in written form before August 28.
Under the Swachh Survekshan Mission initiative of the central government, the GHMC had begun to construct individual and public toilets wherever necessary.
A total of 1975 individual household latrines were constructed, apart from 384 public and community toilets. Wherever space was a problem community toilets were built, and where the location is under dispute, pre-fabricated toilets were installed.
Of the 384 public/community toilets, 135 were built in Build-Operate-Transfer mode, 109 were pre-fabricated, 46 were by Sulabh, 17 were She e-Toilets, and 20 were community toilets.
In addition to these, 44 community toilets are under construction under the BOT mode, and tenders have been called for 25 more.
Twenty-five She e-Toilets too are under progress, a statement from the corporation said.
Besides, the GHMC has convinced about 295 fuel stations and 390 hotels and restaurant owners to open the toilets on their premises for use by general public.
Several awareness programmes are being conducted at circle and zonal levels for arresting open urination, besides display of posters at the public toilets, open defecation/urination spots to sensitise the public. In a few cases where people are not utilising the toilets despite availability, they are being garlanded and fines are being levied. A total of 225 such instances were fined, and an amount of ₹38,120 has been collected since April, 2016, the statement said.
