After Getting Open Defecation Free Tag, The Rural Population Of The District Contributing To Swachhta Campaign To Get Odf Plus Status With More Zeal

District Public Relations Office, Patiala

AFTER GETTING OPEN DEFECATION FREE TAG, THE RURAL POPULATION OF THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTING TO SWACHHTA CAMPAIGN TO GET ODF  PLUS STATUS WITH MORE ZEAL

Women Folk Endorsed Government Efforts For Providing Relief from Going Outside

Patiala, February 5:
After declaring all the villages of Patiala district open defecation free under the first phase of Swachh Bharat Gramin, now the residents of these villages are working hard towards getting eligible for ODF Plus under the next phase.
As a result, the standard of living of the people has risen due to the priority given to cleanliness and hygiene in the villages.  Earlier, after providing toilets in the houses of the people in all the villages of the district, the district was announced ODF.
Expressing thanks to the efforts of state government, women hailing from these ODF villages said that it was very difficult for them to go to the open when it was raining, dark or sick, but now with the construction of toilets in their homes, their lives have become comfortable and much better.
Surinder Singh, a resident of Ugani village, said that his village was free from open defecation and now he was committed to keep his village clean and tidy, so that we can achieve next target of ODF Plus.  While Poonampreet Kaur, a woman from the same village said that it was very difficult for women to go to open defecation due to safety and privacy of women but since the construction of house-to-house toilets in their village, lives of women have become much easier.
Jaspal Kaur, another elderly woman, said that when she came to this village after getting married, she had to face such a problem but now with the construction of house-to-house toilets,  women of her village are free from open defecation besides not compromising with their privacy and security.
Similarly, Manjit Kaur and Babli, women beneficiaries from village Mamoli, said that under the Swachh Bharat scheme, they had latrines in their homes and have got rid of the hellish life.  Karamjit Kaur of village Dharamgarh, who has also won a national award for clean toilets, said that the construction of house-to-house latrines has protected the dignity of women and at the same time made their village clean.
IEC Coordinator of Water Supply and Sanitation Department,  Sangeeta Tripathi said that they had launched an awareness campaign under the Swachh Bharat Mission to create awareness among the people, especially women and children, and as a result, people had built toilets in their homes to make their villages open defecation free.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Dr.  Preeti Yadav said that toilets were constructed in the houses of the people under various schemes in the villages  and now under the second phase of Swachh Bharat by constructing community toilets and washrooms, we are heading towards to get ODF Plus status in rural area.  Under this,  STP including disposal of solid and liquid waste have also been proposed to make the villages completely clean and pollution free.

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