UP to be ‘open defecation free’ by Oct 2018

 The Yogi Adityanath government is aiming to achieve open defecation free (ODF) status for Uttar Pradesh by October 2018.

To achieve this target, the government would construct about 15.5 million toilets across 75 districts in the state. The government would on-board 1,50,000 masons, who would be imparted two months’ technical training in this regard.

Under Swachh Bharat Mission, UP is working towards making all its 59,000 gram panchayats ODF by October 2018, which would correspond to the incumbent Yogi regime completing one-and-half years in office.

While, 30 districts are being targetted to be ODF by December 2017, the remaining districts would come on board by October 2018, UP additional chief secretary (panchayati raj) Chanchal Kumar Tiwari said.

One of the flagship projects of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre, Swachh Bharat Mission is estimated to cost nearly Rs 62,000 crore, of which the private sector has been envisaged to contribute nearly 70 percent or a little over Rs 42,500 crore. Of the public sector expenditure, the Centre is mandated to provide about Rs 14,600 crore, while the state/union territories (UT) would contribute about Rs 4,900 crore.

The Mission, which was launched by Modi on October 2, 2014, is being implemented in all the 4,041 statutory towns and cities across India. It aims at eliminating open defecation and manual scavenging, besides promoting modern and scientific municipal solid waste management.