Seven districts to become ODF

​Hyderabad: Chief Secretary S P Singh on Thursday said that seven districts of the State would become Open Defecation Free (ODF) by the end of March and directed the Collectors to take steps to make all the districts ODF.

The Chief Secretary in a video conference with the district Collectors along with Union Drinking Water and Sanitation Secretary Parameswaran Iyer called upon the collectors to make the State ODF by October 2.

He told them to complete the construction of individual toilets. He also urged Iyer to see that the centre provides necessary support in achieving the target.

Singh told the Collectors to tap the resources of NGOs and Stree Nidhi institution resources. The Collectors who achieved the targets were complemented. Out of 44.84 lakh families of the State, 20.10 lakh have individual toilets.

About 1,387 villages out of 8,695 have achieved ODF target. Awareness would be brought to people with the help of village water and sanitation committees, he said.

Iyer said that Telangana had achieved good progress in Swachh Bharat campaign. He said that quality should be given priority in construction of toilets and sought opinions of the Collectors on depositing the subsidy amount in the accounts of the beneficiaries.

The Collectors told that they were involving public representatives, NGOs, students and women in the programme.