Bhubaneswar administration to implement revised septage management rules across the city
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has decided to implement the revised septage management rules across the city. The rules framed by the Odisha housing and urban development department has now made it compulsory for all households to construct septic tanks and keep away from letting out sludge into the municipal drains. The rules direct house owners to contact only civic body officials or other registered sanitary agencies to clear out the septic tanks and strictly keep away from engaging manual scavengers
Ambikapur is now Chhattisgarh's first open-defecation free corporation
In addition to becoming Chhattisgarh’s first open-defecation free corporation, Ambikapur in Surguja district has the distinction of becoming the state’s first dustbin and dumping yard free zone. The corporation has involved local women in door-to-door garbage collection, who then segregate and sell the waste. The corporation has managed to earn Rs 6.5 lakh till date from the sale of household refuse.
Odisha to install 6,000 hybrid toilet complexes across nine cities in the next year
The Odisha state housing and urban development department has decided to construct 6,000 hybrid toilet complexes across nine cities within the next year. These low-maintenance toilets require just 300ml of water for flushing in comparison to the 10-15 litres required in conventional units. The toilets are expected to come up in Bhubaneswar, Berhampur, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur, Puri, Balasore, Bhadrak and Baripada.
Mumbai City Corporation resorts to shaming and punishing people defecating out in the open
In a bid to contain the menace of open defecation and urination, the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai has now resorted to shaming offenders in public. Within a week, vigilance squads on the lookout for offenders have caught over 50 persons for public urination and spitting. Sanitation experts are of the opinion that shaming will not be very helpful as in most cases, people tend to relieve themselves in public due to the lack of adequate sanitation infrastructure.
Lack of toilets one of the main reasons for girls dropping out of schools: Smriti Irani
Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has mentioned that the lack of toilet facilities in schools is one of the main reasons for girl students dropping out midway. The dropout rates have been found to be maximum in the north-eastern states. The Unified District Information System for Education has indicated that the dropout rate is maximum in the state of Nagaland, closely followed by Manipur.
This is a roundup of important sanitation related news published between May 1 and 7, 2016
Lead image courtesy: Down to Earth
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