Three panchayats- Ananda Kavundampalayam, Nachipatti and Pallavanaickenpatti, all in Vennandur Panchayat Union in the district were declared ‘open defecation-free’ with villagers taking pledge not to defecate in the open and use only toilets.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, the district administration has proposed to construct 66,000 Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) of which 54,000 were already constructed. The administration has also proposed to declare 60 villages as ‘open defecation-free’ by October 2 and awareness campaigns were conducted among the people to construct toilets. As part of it, new toilets were constructed in 1,089 houses in the three panchayats in the union.
Also, existing toilets in anganwadi centres, panchayat union middle school, women’s and men’s integrated toilet complexes and other toilets in public places were renovated and opened for public use.
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On Wednesday, Collector V. Dakshinamoorthy flagged off an awareness rally in Ananda Kavundampalayam panchayat in which students and villagers participated.
A pledge that vowed to use the toilet and not to defecate in the open was also taken during the rally. He said that toilets will be constructed in all the 57 remaining panchayats and will be declared as open defecation-free by October 2.
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He said that the government is giving a grant of Rs. 12,000 per household for construction of toilets and asked the people to utilise it.
C. Malathi, Project Director, District Rural Development Agency, and Executive Engineer Saravanakumar, District Panchayat Committee member K. Chandrasekar, Vennandur Panchayat Union president Tamilselvi, panchayat president Baby and villagers participated.