Open Defecation Free drive hit in Kannur district

Kannur: Kannur district tops the list of grama panchayats declared as Open Defecation Free (ODF) so far in the state. As on Wednesday, out of the 36 grama panchayats which were declared ODF in the state, 26 are from Kannur which has 100 percent toilets for all households. Thrissur is in the second place, but with just three panchayats in the list. Kannur is also planning to be the first ODF district in the state by September. Only two municipalities (one each from Idukki and Malappuram) are in the ODF list and no corporation has  found a place in it.

The ODF drive is the main objective of the union government’s flagship movement ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ which aims to achieve an Open-Defecation Free (ODF) India by  October 2,  2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing 12 crore toilets in rural India at a projected cost of '1.96 lakh crore.

However, not even a single grama panchayat was declared ODF in six districts, including Thuiruvananthapuram. Kerala is among the top states in the country which is approaching the target at  a fast  pace.  

Kannur District Collector P. Bala Kiran said that early and systematic planning has helped the district to maintain the first position in the ODF drive list in the state. “We started the ODF programme in December, 2015 and nearly 4,500 more toilets have to be constructed  to become the first ODF district in Kerala,” he added.

Beneficiaries of the project are identified through survey and a total of  Rs 15, 400 has been allotted to each toilet by Suchitwa Mission and the panchayat for the construction of toilet.