Himachal Govt.’s progress in making Himachal an ‘Open Defecation Free’ State

Posted Date: 06-Mar-2010		Category: Himachal Updates
Author: Adonis	Member Level: Diamond
Rating:	Points: 20 (Rs 5)

Himachal Pradesh started its journey toward Sanitaion Programmes in the year 2000. Since then it has shown an unprecedented progress making 253 Gram Panchayats 'Open Defecation Free' by the year 2000.

Covering each and every district in Himachal Pradesh with 100 percent sanitation cover is the ultimate goal with which Himachal government started its various sanitation awareness programmes in 2000. Initially it was very difficult to implement the scheme but slowly and gradually there was a steady progress in sanitation.

This can be very well deduced from the given reports:

Year 2006-07: 22 Gram Panchayats in Himachal Pradesh attained 100 percent sanitation cover and were declared as Nirmal Gram Panchayats. These 22 Panchayats were also awarded with Nirmal Gram Panchayat Puruskar in order to influence other Gram Panchayats to adopt the sanitation schemes.

Year 2007-08: Sanitation awareness programmes were making their hegemony and guiding people in the rural areas that 245 Gram Panchayats were declared as Nirmal Gram Panchayats.

Year 2008-09: During this year the figure rose even higher, making 253 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.

These award winning Nirmal Gram Panchayats in Himachal were also given various incentives to maintain the sainitation and funds for monitoring mechanism for sanitation. Nirmal Gram Panchayats are also entitled to put up NGP Board or Logo marking their Open Defecation Free status. Maintenance is a must in this case, otherwise, the title of Nirmal Gram Panchayat will be taken away.

The 253 Nirmal Gram Panchayats were recently awarded cash prizes between Rs 50,000 to Rs. 5,00,000 and mementos by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal at Nirmal Gram Puruskar Function organized by Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. These 253 Nirmal Gram Panchayats fall under various districts of Himachal and the exact figures are as follows:

Mandi: 125 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Kangra: 29 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Shimla: 23 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Hamirpur: 25 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Solan: 15 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Sirmour: 13 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Bilaspur: 8 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Chamba: 7 Nirmal Gram Panchayats.
Kullu and Lahaul Spiti: 3 Nirmal Gram Panchayats in each district.
Una and Kinnaur: 1 Nirmal Gram Panchayatsin each district.

About 80% of the entire state has become an ‘Open Defecation Free’ area, it is just 20% that will surely be completed by the end of the year 2010. The present Nirmal Gram Panchayats are encouraged motivate other left Gram Panchayats in making 100% sanitation cover. 100% Open Defecation Free result of Himachal will be a benchmark in Himachal history.

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