Individual toilets will be constructed in slums, irrespective of the land on which they are located, barring railway land, in a bid to put an end to open defecation in the areas.
“The GVMC, in keeping with the goals of Swachh Bharat, has decided to allow construction of toilets for those living in the slums. The only thing to be ascertained is to ensure whether the family has been living there for long,” Additional Commissioner (General) G.V.V.S. Murthy said.
“For each of the toilets, Rs.15,000 will be given and the process in releasing the money has been simplified,” he said at a meeting organised by Association for Tribal and Urban Development with the support of Samata and Indo-Global Social Service Society.
Water and Sanitation for Urban Poor Advisory City Project Manger Uday Singh Gautam said by the end of the month 12 wards would be declared open defecation-free (ODF) and in phases all the 72 wards would be made ODF.
AUTD secretary Pragada Vasu said applications submitted by slum-dwellers for individual toilets were rejected earlier.
“But officials of the corporation now say that irrespective of whether the slum is notified or non-notified, if there is space for construction of toilets, they would be sanctioned,” he said.
As of now, only 500 from 30 slums have applied and another 2,000 have to submit their applications.
A resident of Jogaraonagar at Kancharapalem represented that roads and drains have to be formed in the area to provide outlet for water used.
Residents of Gandhinagar at Madhurawada said that 140 applications had been rejected as they were living on revenue land. Officials said community toilets would be constructed for the 140 families living there.
Residents of Muslim Colony in Ward 4 would be provided a common septic tank with toilets on their premises, officials said.
12 wards in the city to be
declared open defecation-free by this month-end
