Rajasthan, geographically the largest state in the country, is all set to keep up its date with the Open Defecation Free (ODF) declaration deadline of March 31. Data on the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) site shows that targets have been achieved and 27 out of 33 districts have been declared ODF. Out of 191 towns and cities 188 have been declared ODF. The ODF programme is divided into rural and urban areas.
As per ground reports, the targets in pending districts and towns have been completed and the status would be uploaded with Data on the last day of the deadline. The six districts that are yet to be declared ODF are Alwar, Banswara, Jalore, Barmer, Karauli and Udaipur.
As per sources, “The SBM site takes a day to take up the figures. Districts enter their ODF data but it is reflected on the site the next day. Tomorrow morning the remaining six districts will be declared ODF and Rajasthan will be declared ODF.”
The construction of toilets under Swach Bharat Mission is based on a baseline survey of 2012 and Rajasthan. The mission is divided into two parts - urban and rural.
“The targets of individual households have been completed 100%. Rural Rajasthan has shown the way to being ODF. I would like to congratulate all preraks, prahris, PRI, district administration team, local community and other stakeholders. This kind of spread cannot be achieved without their efforts,” said Naveen Mahajan, Secretary and Commissioner Panchayat Raj Department.
But being declared ODF is not the end of the road; a major challenge begins after that; the challenge of being verified ODF. This is done through a three-stage process involving intradistrict, interdistrict and state verification. Experts associated with SBM believe this is expected to take almost six months.
This is just enough time for the Vasundhara Raje government of Rajasthan before its present term comes to an end. It is believed to be the reason for Raje preponing the deadline for ODF declaration to March 31, 2018. Achieving the ODF targets is also a political achievement.
Incidentally, states like Arunachal Pradesh, Chhatisgarh, Gujarat, and Haryana have been declared ODF. On the other hand, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh have little achievements to show. Bihar too lags behind and has given itself a target of March 2019 to be declared ODF.
Prime Minister has decided on a deadline of 2 October 2019, the 150 birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, for India to be ODF.
