Thiruvananthapuram: As the ODF campaign in the state comes to a close with Kannur becoming the second district to achieve the status, it remains to be seen whether the capital district will finish third or fourth. At the start of the campaign, the target was to build 16,634 toilets, of which around 14,000 have already been built. The over two thousand toilets which remain can be finished in 15 days, according to Suchitwa Mission officials. The district that is locked in a close contest with Thiruvananthapuram is Palakkad, which has to build a little over 3,000 toilets.
“Though Palakkad has to build more toilets, the difficulty of building toilets in some areas here is higher. All districts are fighting zealously,” says Ameersha R S, Programme Officer, Suchitwa Mission. Fifty eight grama panchayats in Thiruvananthapuram have attained ODF status. In this phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission, the ODF status of urban areas are not taken into account. Of the 15 grama panchayats that remain, work in three places, Anchuthengu, Azho-or and Amboori - is the toughest .
Because of the high water table in Anchuthengu, a coastal region, and Azhoor, which is by the side of a lake, the toilets need to be built at an elevated level. This increases cost and complexity of the work at hand. In Amboori, the high cost of transporting building materials is slowing down the process. Here, a private company has come forward to sponsor the construction of close to 300 toilets. In a few panchayaths like Karinkulam, where an old lady was mauled to death by stray dogs, most houses are too small to incorporate a toilet. In such panchayats, community toilets shared by four to ten families are being built.
