Govt plans to make all villages ODF

Rajamahendravaram: Rural Water Supply (RWS) secretary BV Ramanjaneyulu has said that the state government is putting in efforts to make all the villages as open defecation-free (ODF) villages. 

He appealed to the people to extend their cooperation to the government in this regard.

Particiapating in a meeting held on ODF at Sri Venkateswara Anam Kala Kendram here on Friday, he said individual toilets were sanctioned in thousands and it was the duty of the beneficiary to use it and some individual toilets were not in use.

Amount was sanctioned for underground drainages as part of complete ODF programme.

Sarpanches of the villages should play key role in this regard and also strive to make varmi compost by collecting garbage from door to door, he added.

The government was also providing rikshaws and motor vehicles to garbage collectors and also paying an amount of Rs 6,000 per month to them and a mandal coordinator also be appointed to supervise this programme. 

The 14th Finance Commission funds would be spent in this regard. The government was initiating steps to distribute 80 lakh sanitary napkins to the women in the age group of 11-40 years.

Collector Karthikeya Misra said that a total of one lakh lavatories were sanctioned in the district to make it as an ODF district. 

Three lakh LED bulbs were arranged in the district, he informed.

Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer P Govindaiah, DRDA project director S Mallibabu, DWAMA project director Raja Kumari, RWS Superintending Engineer Rajeswara Rao, mandal development officers and others were present.