Team Herald
PORVORIM: The State government on Thursday announced that it intends to make Goa open defecation free (ODF) by August 31 this year, and after that, those defecating in the open would be fined.
Speaking in the legislative Assembly, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant said, “We will be setting up 538 twin toilets in different wards in panchayat as well as municipal areas, and another 17,000 individual toilets in rural and 4,000 in urban areas, would be provided to make the State open defecation free.”
Sawant, responding to a question by Leader of the Opposition Digambar Kamat, said that while 17,000 bio-digester toilets, perfected by the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation), would be provided in rural areas by the contractors appointed by Goa Solid Waste Management Corporation, in the urban areas, the work has been entrusted to Sulabha Constructions.
“The distribution of bio-digester toilets will begin on August 15,” the Chief Minister assured the House, adding that those who have applied, around 17,158, the toilets would be provided to them within one and half month. “Till then, we intend to set up twin toilets to achieve our target of August 31,” he said.
Earlier speaking, Science and Technology Minister Michael Lobo said, “Once the State is declared open defection free, we will start imposing fines on individuals or local bodies where open defection takes place. We are not going to allow such things.”
Responding to a query raised by the Leader of the Opposition on whether the government is aware that DRDO technology based bio-toilets are not workable and have been a failure in the Indian Railways, the Minister said that it failed in railways due to reasons like choking of tank due to food material, sanitary pads, thrown by commuters. “Here it is not possible. The bio-digester toilets installed along costal belt have been a success,” he said.
He said that in next one and half months, State government will provide bio-toilets to 17,150 households. “In addition to this, each of the wards in panchayat and municipalities will have two community toilets,” Lobo said.
Sawant also said that the fee of Rs 10,000 earlier chargeable for toilets have been reviewed by the government considering that many families were finding it difficult to pay this. He said that families from the Scheduled Tribe will have to pay Rs 1,000, OBC Rs 2,000 and general category Rs 4,000.
