Port Blair, Aug 31: Complying with the nation-wide launch of the 100 days campaign “Sthayithvevam Sujalam Abhiyan” focusing on ensuring sustainability of ODF gains and achieving construction of million soak pits by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Govt. of India, the Secretary (RD/Panchayat), Shri Suneel Anchipaka, IAS today launched the campaign in the UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, in a State level function held in the Office of Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman.
The campaign aims to reenergize the efforts at local level and mobilize people for collective action on achieving sustainability of ODF outcomes and achieve construction of a million soak pits for grey water management in rural areas across the States. Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II emphasizes on creating community level soak pits to ensure safe disposal and management of greywater in a decentralized way.
In the UT of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status was achieved on 31.01.2018, thereby making sure that every rural household have access to either Individual Household Latrines or to Community Sanitary Complexes. Furthermore, in order to have effective mechanism for Solid Waste Management, 26 Solid Waste Management Clusters are established mapping to 70 Gram Panchayats in the UT. Door to Door collection of waste has also begun in all 70 Gram Panchayats on the basis of locally developed Waste Collection Calendar.
In order to set-up additional assets for Grey-water management in rural areas, a Gram Panchayat level committee was constituted to assess requirement of Individual and Community Soak Pits. Detailed instructions for utilization of funds under SBM(G) and MGNREGA were issued. Based on the preliminary assessment conducted by the Gram Panchayats, number of construction works of soak pits were identified at individual level and at community level in places such as Panchayat Bhawans, Schools, Anganwadis, Drainage end points and at places of higher volume of grey water generation. The works are presently in various stages of execution.
The 100 days campaign of the Ministry therefore shall provide impetus to the Grey Water Management activities already being undertaken at the Grass root level by the Gram Panchayats and shall also ensure that all the identified works are completed within the campaign period.A detailed action plan along with timeline has also been issued from the State Directorate for timely completion of activities.
During the launch, the Secretary (RD/Panchayat) exhorted all officials to take up the campaign proactively at the grass root level and to mobilize the general public in large scale by conducting various ward and village level programmes for effective Grey Water Management. He directed that all activities may be conducted in a time bound manner, thereby achieving ODF Plus status by the UT.
