Hyderabad: The municipal administration and urban development department is now aiming at achieving 100 per cent ODF tag, covering all urban areas in Telangana, by March 31 next year.
When the five-phase action plan was devised, the Chief Minister aimed at declaring a ‘’100 per cent ODF Telangana’’, vis-a-vis urban areas, on the second anniversary of the state formation in June 2016. Now, the deadline has been pushed by one year.
While the first phase target of making 15 municipalities ODF has been achieved, the department has set a road map to achieve ODF tagfor the remaining 42 municipalities.
In the second phase, 20 municipalities have been asked to complete pending works of constructing toilets by August 15, 2016. For another 11 municipalities, the deadline has been set as October 2, 2016.
For the remaining 5 municipalities, works must be completed by January 26, 2017, and for 6 municipalities, the deadline prescribed is March 31, 2017. “We are aiming to become the first state in the country to achieve 100 per cent “open defecation free” in urban areas by March 31, 2017.
A social audit will be conducted in April and May to certify the OFD tag. The third anniversary of TS will be special for our department and the state, as the CM will make an official announcement about Telangana achieving 100 per cent ODF in urban areas during formation day celebrations on June 2, 2017,” said K. T. Rama Rao, minister for MAUD. He added that funds are no constraint to achieve this goal as the chief minister is willing to sanction any amount to achieve the goal.
