The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Total sanitation still a mirage

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Thursday, Mar 20, 2008
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Total sanitation still a mirage

Staff Reporter

Target achievement in APL category as low as 8 percent
Policy makers asked to pay special attention

BHUBANESWAR: With State ready to observe World Water Day on Thursday, voluntary organisations working in water sector points out that Orissa has fared badly in achieving goal of sanitation, which is this year’s international theme.

Campaign

“Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) is into its seventh year of implementation in State now and there are just about four more years left. Yet, it has succeeded in achieving only 23.2 per cent of target till date,” Ranjan Panda, convenor of Water Initiative of Orissa (WIO) charged.“This achievement also seems to be inflated considering that most of the target of household latrine construction has been done in BPL category, which has a subsidy provision. Target achievement in the APL category is as low as 8 percent,” Mr. Panda said.

He said in other words, it indicated that the campaign has failed to motivate people to value toilet as an important requirement for a clean environment, a dignified living and economic well-beings. As per the 2003 baseline sanitation survey figures, less than five per cent of households had access to latrines in the State. City-based Regional Centre for Development Cooperation (RCDC) said policy makers needed to pay special attention on factors such as rapid urbanization and industrialization, post calamity sanitation and awareness programme to achieve TSC goals effectively.

Sambalpur-based WIO, however, welcomed Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) saying it became imperative with increase in diverse and often heterogeneous requirement of water in the State.

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