Khaira: Even as Mathanuagaon village of Nandur panchayat under Khaira block in Balasore district has been declared ‘open defecation-free’ (ODF), a little has changed here in reality.
Centre had set out to achieve open defecation-free (ODF) India by October 2, 2019 under the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission. However, several blocks in Balasore district paint a completely different picture.
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Balasore rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) declared the village as ODF July 22. Despite the provision of toilets being made available to local villagers, most families do not have one. Asuria villagers in this block also allege of the same precarious fate.
A grim picture was revealed during a recent drive in the block to check progress of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). “Those having the facility prefer defecating in open due to lack of provision for adequate water supply,” said a villager requesting anonymity.
“This apart, the amount which is being provided by the government to build latrines is meagre. Central government provides Rs 12,000 to a household for constructing a latrine. It is insufficient to meet with the ever-rising prices of construction materials,” local villagers fumed.
“Signage put up at village approach roads read, ‘An open defecation-free Mathanuagaon village welcomes you’. Local villagers are committed to keep our respective villages open defecation-free’. Such meaningless signage are no less than a mockery,” villagers namely Laxmana Behera, Pradeep Samal, Bidyadhara Parida, Lakshmikanta Mohanty, Parsuram Mohanty and Upendra Parida expressed.
The villagers added that the latrine building has become a money-minting sport for a few unscrupulous block officials as they work hand-in-glove with the local contractors to make some extra bucks.
Twenty-five more families are yet to have individual latrines. In order to meet the target on pen and paper, sub-standard latrines were hurriedly constructed and villages were declared ODF.
On being contacted, Khaira block development officer Debendra Prasad Bal said, “As the ODF programme is no more in force, it is not possible to construct more latrines at this juncture.”
PNN