Dehradun: Clearing the situation regarding the toilets of 132 gram panchayats located on the banks of river Ganga under ‘Namame Gange’ programme mentioned in CAG reports, Additional Secretary and Director,’Namame Gange’, Dr. Raghav Langar informed that the declaration of Open Defecation Free (ODF) gram panchayats was done on the basis of targets fixed under baseline survey done in 2012 by the districts. After the construction of toilets between August 2015 and December 2016, these villages were declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF). Presently, 430 families who are without the facility of toilets in these 132 gram panchayats that were either left out in the baseline survey of 2012 or increased due to population increase and division of families.
Additional Secretary and Director, Namame Gange, Dr. Raghav Langar informed about the entire state that in the quick survey done by the districts in 2018, there are 83,945 identified families without toilets who were either left out in the 2012 baseline survey or increased after the survey. To include these families in the scheme, an extra budgetary resources of Rs.100.73 crore has been sought from the central government by the state government.
Project Director informed that in the districts of Chamoli, Dehradun, Haridwar, Pauri, Rudraprayag,Tehri and Uttarakhanshi ( total seven districts) ,in the 132 gram panchayats ( 265 villages / Toks) located on the banks of river Ganga and selected under ‘Namame Gange’ programme,in the baseline survey of 2012 out of total 29029 families,10019 families were found without toilet facilities. Out of these families without toilet facilities, 9619 families under ‘Namame Gange’, 96 families under MANREGA, 101 families under combination of MANREGA/ ‘Indira Awas Yojna’, 59 families under ‘Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan’ were provided toilets and the rest of 144 families were benefitted through own resources or through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds. A total of 10019 families were provided toilets facilities. In these132 gram panchayats, apart from 10019 toilets built, under “Sawwatach Bharat’ funds 659 non- operational toilets were made functional and 557 families were given toilets. Presently, 430 families in 132 gram panchayats are without toilet facilities that were either left out in the baseline survey of 2012 or increased population due to division of families.
The gram panchayats which have been declared ODF are on the basis of the targets set out in the 2012 baseline survey by the districts. After the construction of the above toilets, these village panchayats were declared ODF during the period from August 2015 to December 2016. As per the guidelines of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), families which do not have access to toilets have been identified on the basis of 2012 baseline survey. After the construction of toilets in the families identified, the announcement regarding ODF was made. As per the baseline survey 2012, after constructing the toilets for the 5,09,830 families identified without toilet facility, all the 13 districts made the announcement of ODF, following which government made an announcement on ODF in June 2017.
Project Director informed that apart from the above-mentioned number, 70,000 additional toilets were got constructed from the MNREGA, IAY, CSR and other funds. As per the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) guidelines, only those gram panchayats are to be declared ODF, wherein all the families are using the toilets and defecation is not visible in open within the limits of the gram panchayat. As per the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) guidelines, solid and liquid waste management in village panchayats has not been included in the standards for the ODF.
During the time of ODF, the progress of solid and liquid waste management work in the initial phase and giving priority to the personal home toilet cover, there has been low progress. After announcement of ODF, work of solid and liquid waste management is being done in ODF Plus activities.
Currently, (Till August 2018), in 1352 gram panchayats in the state, DPR of LLWM have been prepared through the districts and village panchayats and from these, 132 gram panchayats selected under the ‘Namame Gange’, DPR of 131 gram panchayats have been prepared and work of DPR of only one gram panchayat (Tharali in district Chamoli) is under progress. Currently, (Till August 2018), in 105 gram panchayats in the state, SLWM works have been completed and from these 21 gram panchayats selected under ‘Namame Gange’, works have been completed. Work in other gram panchayats is under progress.
In the state, the construction of community cleanliness complexes in gram panchayats is completed through 20 per cent community share and the money for the community cleanliness complexes is released only after getting proposal and consent from the gram panchayats regarding the availability of land, location selection, need for construction and maintenance after construction. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), till now, from the proposed 183 community cleanliness complex, work of 179 has been completed. From these, 10 community cleanliness complexes in the gram panchayats under the ‘Namame Gange’ have been completed.
