TEAM HERALD
teamherald@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: The principal chief engineer of the Public Works Department, has reconstituted the list of those who have to be on the village water and sanitation committees.
The committees formed under the Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan will be headed by a sarpanch and must have a representative of a local women’s group, a local health worker and a headmaster or teacher of the local primary school of the village.
According to the notification issued on December 18, other members of the village group include the panchayat secretary as the member secretary, a woman panchayat member to be nominated by the sarpanch, one representative of the SC/ST or OBC communities chosen by the gram sabha, and one representative of a local community based organization or NGO raised by the gram sabha as well as technical assistant or junior engineer of who is in charge of water supply and sanitation in the areas of the respective village panchayat and will function as a co-opted member.
The village water and sanitation committee has the task of maintaining data of the status of water supply and sanitation of the village, creating awareness of hygiene through various activities, ensure 100% sanitation in the village and make sure that there is no open defecation in the village.
They also have to monitor and test the quality of drinking water with a drinking water testing kit provided by the PWD as well as submit quarterly reports to the BDO and the PWD department.
The move is to help, rid the state of unsanitary practises that are rampant especially close to irregular housing.
