Swachhandhra still a far cry

Visakhapatnam: The state could become Swachhandhra when cleanliness is maintained in all villages for which everyone should draw inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, said Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao.

Highlights:

• Speaker calls upon people to maintain cleanliness to make state Swachhandhra
• Only 52 per cent of households have toilets in the state, says Speaker
• In Vizag, which has been developing as a financial capital of the state, except in urban areas, there are no adequate toilets in rural areas

Swacch Sammelan was organised by Rural Water Supply (RWS) and sanitation departments at VUDA Children Theatre here on Thursday. “Though 75 years have been passed since India got independence, but still Swachh India has not become a reality,” lamented the Speaker who took part in the event.

By October 2, 2019 to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF), everyone should cooperate with the State and Central governments, he said while addressing a gathering.

Pointing out that only 52 per cent of households have toilets in the state, he said even in Vizag, which has been developing as a financial capital of the state, except in urban areas, there were no adequate toilets in rural areas.

Speaking on the occasion, Collector Pravin Kumar said that measures have been taken to make district as ODF. So far 50 per cent of the households in the city have toilets, but over 4.61 lakh households do not have. By 2018, 1.5 lakh families living in agency area would adopt the practice of using toilets, he said.

For 2017-18, they set the target to construct 85,000 toilets, he informed. Zilla Parishad chairperson Lalam Bhavani, MLAs P Ramesh Babu, Vangalapudi Anitha, K Sarveswar Rao, Swachhandhra Corporation MD Muralidhar Reddy, UNICEF CEO Mithal Rasmia, and others participated in the event.