As many as 34,656 families living in the Bangalore Urban district do not have toilets and are forced to relieve themselves in the open. This was revealed at a review meeting at a review meeting held on Wednesday at the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Urban district.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Ramalinga Reddy, district in-charge and Transport Minister, said the district administration would be constructing toilets for 25,684 families, and an action plan has been prepared.
So far this year (till June end), the district administration had constructed 543 toilets. The remaining toilets would be constructed under the Nimala Bharath Abhiyan and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Drinking water
As many as 267 villages do not have drinking water facility and another 55 villages have less than 55 litres per capita per day (LCPD) in the district. A separate action plan to seek additional grants of Rs. 42.52 crore from the government to provide drinking water by digging borewells has been drawn up.
Mr. Reddy said that this year, the district has registered 78 dengue cases. Fortunately, no dengue-related deaths had been registered in the district.
The administration has formed 76 teams comprising 1,520 members who have found larvae in 14,141 houses and 20,591 other places across the district. The teams are conducting awareness drives across the district regarding the prevention of dengue.
Development projects
Mr. Reddy said the district administration has earmarked Rs. 160.08 crore from the Chief Minister’s Rural Road Development scheme and another Rs. 153.95 crore under 13th Finance Commission have been earmarked for road development.
Of the Rs. 221.46 crore grants earmarked by the State government for various development projects for 2012-13, Rs. 44.58 crore had been released to the district administration, of which Rs. 17.7 crore has been spent. The district administration has been able to achieve 40 per cent progress, he added.
