Guntur sets toilet record

Guntur: Sattenapalli in Guntur district, the constituency of Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasad Rao, has created a record of sorts in construction of toilets.

For the first time in the country, over 16,000 individual household latrines (IHHL) will be ready by December 7, and another 10,000 are in the pipeline. This would ensure that Sattenapalli becomes an open defecation-free Assembly constituency.

Mr Rao is hopeful that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the IHHLs.

Of the approximately 62 lakh households without toilet facility in the state, as many as 4,46,816 have been identified to be in Guntur district.

Despite the fact that integrated sanitary latrines are more hygienic, the people in rural areas have not been attracted towards them.

Observing the difficulties faced by women due to open defecation, Mr Rao backed the IHHL scheme in rural areas of Sattenapalli constituency.

Initially, the DWMA, which is responsible for promoting IHHLs in the district, planned 10,000 such toilets in the segment. However, the response was amazing, with 16,692 households applying.

DWMA officials began construction IHHLs in the segment on November 7 and they will be completed in a record time of one month.

Mr Rao said that the response has been so overwhelming that the DWMA plans to construct another 10,000 IHHLs, in the second phase.

Mr Rao said that 16,692 IHHLs will be completed in a record time and the CM is likely to visit Sattenapalli to inaugurate them.