69 local bodies to go ‘open defecation-free’

District administration set the target to be achieved before October 2

The district administration has set a target of converting 69 rural local bodies into ‘open defecation-free village panchayats’ before October 2.

In a statement, Collector M. Karunakaran said that the district administration was actively implementing the programme of constructing individual household toilet in every house, sanitary complexes, solid waste management systems and toilets in anganwadis with Central and the State government funding. The ultimate objective of this programme was to create ‘open defecation-free Tirunelveli’.

As a subsidy of Rs. 12,000 was being given for construction of individual household toilets, the public should make use of the opportunity to create open defecation-free panchayats for getting the Centre’s ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ awards, he said.

Efforts were on to ensure construction of individual toilets in all houses in four village panchayats each in Radhapuram, Nanguneri, Melaneelithanallur, Sankarankovil, Alangulam and Kadayam unions and three panchayats each in Palayamkottai, Shencottai, Tenkasi, Valliyoor, Vasudevanallur, Pappakudi, Ambasamudram, Cheranmahadevi, Kadayanallur and Keezhapaavoor unions before October 2.

Construction of individual toilets in all houses in these 69 village panchayats would qualify these rural local bodies to receive the Centre’s ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ award, which carried a cash award with which more development works could be executed, Dr. Karunakaran added.