SAMBALPUR: Over 17,000 households in Sambalpur city do not have a toilet even as the district has achieved 100 per cent toilet coverage and bagged Open Defecation Free (ODF) tag under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural).
While the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) has issued a work order for construction of 12,210 toilets under the Individual Household Latrine (IHHL) scheme, it has also failed in creating awareness that has contributed to unabated open defecation in the city.
There are around 40 community toilets located within 500 metre of residential colonies in the city. As a measure to check open defecation, the corporation had decided to impose a fine of Rs 500 on the offenders, but it failed to yield results. Now, the SMC is planning to speed up IHHL works to achieve 100 per cent toilet coverage.
Deputy Commissioner in-charge of SMC Subhankar Mohanty said work on 769 toilets has already been completed while 11,441 are under progress. IHHL is a flexible programme compared to past schemes especially in terms of land utilisation. Junior Engineers, community organisers and sanitation experts have been asked to take up awareness drives in the localities and facilitate construction of toilets. This apart, one can apply to the SMC for toilet facilities and after the issue of work order, they can start construction work as per the prescribed specification.
The payment is disbursed soon after inspection of the site by the civic body, he added. Sources said discouraging financial assistance is another hindrance behind the slow pace of the project. Under the scheme, an NFSA ration card holder is entitled to get Rs 8000 while rest get Rs 6,667 for construction of toilet.
Shankar Sahu, a resident of Sahjog Nagar, said the specified size of the toilet would incur a higher price than the SMC assistance which discouraged him to apply for the benefits for the last four years. All eight members of his family still defecate in open.