Move to make elimination of open defecation a people’s movement The district administration and the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) have decided to make the elimination of open defecation a people’s movement by enlisting various sections of the people such as women, youth, students, civil society organisations, service organisations and the media in ensuring 100 per cent coverage of rural households in the construction of hygienic toilets under the Swachch Bharath Mission (Clean India Campaign). Talking to newspersons after a press tour of Latheri and K.V. Kuppam village panchayats where individual toilets have been constructed, and are under construction, R. Nanthagopal, Collector of Vellore said that out of the 5,17,427 rural households in Vellore district, 3,07,908 lacked individual hygienic toilets. Individual toilet It has been targeted to ensure the construction of individual hygienic toilets in 83,025 rural households during 2015-16, for which a sum of Rs.99.60 crores has been allotted. Of the 83,025 households, applications for subsidy have been received from 81,242 beneficiaries through the village poverty reduction committees (VPRCs) and panchayat level SHG federations (PLF). Works on 11,078 toilets have been completed, while works on 70,164 toilets are in progress. Out of the 753 village panchayats in the district, 487 would be covered under the SBM while 256 would be covered through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The Collector said that out of the 3,07,908 households which did not have toilets, they have been constructed in 33,896 households in the last two years. Toilets have to be constructed in 2,74,012 households. ODF villages On October 2, 77 village panchayats would be selected and declared as open defecation-free (ODF) villages. The district administration would be involving the women’s self-help groups, VPRCs and PLFs in the implementation of the SBM. M. Manohar Singh, Project Director of DRDA said, “Use of toilets helps reduce foecally transmitted diseases. Unfortunately, though sanitation is vital for human health, the priority for sanitation and toilets is very low in the villages”, he said. Subsidy The Project Director said that the entire cost of Rs.12,000 for constructing an individual toilet is given as subsidy to all the beneficiaries. The subsidy would cover the cost of the superstructure, the bowl and two leech pits. Women SHG members are asked to motivate the house owners to construct hygenic toilets. Each such motivator is given an incentive of Rs.300 per toilet one year after construction of the toilet based on its usage, he said.