No more open defecation in Coimbatore city

Chennai: Though about 600 out of 4,000 cities have become open defecation free (ODF) cities in India, a fairly large number of cities are on the road to achieve this target. By October 2 (Gandhi Jayanthi day) the entire urban India including Chennai will become ODF, according to Praveen Prakash, National Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), under the Union urban development ministry, here on Monday.

"Many cities in India, including those with large population of about a million plus like Mumbai, Pune, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada and Chandigarh have become open defecation free. We are getting encouraging reports from the cities. By October 2, 2018, itself the entire urban India will become ODF," he said.

Acknowledging the crucial role of the stakeholders, he said hard work and consistent efforts taken at all levels has helped to achieve the target a year ahead of the deadline, Mr Prakash added.

Speaking on the challenges ahead, he said liquid waste management and providing on site sanitation solutions need to be focused. Nationally, only 30 per cent households have sewer connections and 70 per cent have site solutions. This needs to be improved, he said and emphasised the role of technology in tackling faecal sludge.