Swachh Bharat Mission: Uttar Pradesh villages declare themselves open defecation free plus

An ODF Plus village is one which has sustained its Open Defecation Free status along with implementing either solid or liquid waste management systems

Young boys walk past a mural reading ‘Swachh Bharat’ (Clean India Mission), a countrywide drive launched by the Indian government. | Photo Credit: AFP

Uttar Pradesh has become the latest state to declare itself Open Defecation Free Plus (ODF+) joining a league of 10 other States that have achieved a similar status. ODF+ refers to all villages in the state that have toilet facilities as well as solid and liquid waste management facilities.

As on date, 4.4 lakh (75%) villages across the nation have declared themselves ODF Plus. The Centre has committed to having all villages ODF+ by 2024-25.

Uttar Pradesh picked up the pace in the current financial year. As on 1st January 2023, the State had only 15,088 villages that had been declared ODF Plus. Over nine months, the State mobilised the efforts for achieving ODF+ in “mission mode.” This, according to a press release from the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Jal Shakti Ministry, saw over 80,000 villages in the State achieve ODF+ status. Capacity building at Panchayat level and on site hand-holding, were key factors for rapid implementation, the ministry noted.

An ODF+ model village is one which is sustaining its ODF status and has arrangements for both solid waste management and liquid waste management; and observes visual cleanliness, i.e., minimal litter, minimal stagnant wastewater, no plastic waste dump in public places; and displays ODF+ Information, Education & Communication (IEC) messages, according to the Ministry.

Other states and Union Territories with a similar 100% status are Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Puducherry, Telangana and Ladakh.

To be sure, villages self-declaring themselves to be ODF doesn’t necessarily mean every house in the village has a toilet or access to waste management. As The Hindu reported earlier this month, several villages in Uttar Pradesh that were ‘self declared’ as having 100% access to potable, piped water, under the Har Ghar Jal mission, didn’t have such piped connections or water connectivity. The Har Ghar Jal Mission has committed to provide 100% piped water to all of rural India by 2024 is also an initiative of the Jal Shakti Ministry’s, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.