Port Blair, Feb 17: The Port Blair Municipal Council is mandated to implement Swachh Bharat Mission with a target of making Port Blair achieve Open defecation free status by this year. The campaigning was kicked off on Feb 13 at ward no. 18 of Municipal Council which included mass awareness and identification of Open defecation pockets in the said ward.
Smt. Rubana Aziz, Councillor ward no. 18 flagged off the awareness campaign through announcement by vehicle depicting banner of constructing toilet at home with a message to discard open defecation at Garacharma in presence of Secretary, Joint Secretary, Executive Engineer (SWM) and other officials of Port Blair Municipal Council.
Meanwhile, the Swachhtha Awareness Team led by Mr Vijay Kumar, Sr. Sanitary Inspector alongwith other Sanitary Inspectors under the supervision of Mr Vijay Kumar Tiwari, Sanitary Officer, with the active participation of local citizens conducted transect walk in all areas to identify open defecation pocket. The Secretary, Port Blair Municipal Council held discussions with the local populace in six pockets identified with open defecation for construction of Community Toilet and Public Toilets.
The campaign shall be replicated in all the wards of Municipal Council in a phased manner to eradicate Open Defecation. Besides, adequate planning for Collection of litter / Solid Wastes through Solid Waste Management was also undertaken in the said ward which will be extended to other wards in phased manner.
After the completion of the campaign, action under the provisions of Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013 will be taken against defaulters who practice open defecation for achieving an Open Defecation Free city status.
The Port Blair Municipal Council has asked all urban residents of Port Blair who practice Open Defecation to construct individual sanitary toilets immediately at their household and keep the city free from the menace of Open Defecation and related health hazards. Defaulters of the instruction shall be liable to be penalized under the provisions of “The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013” and the municipal services are likely to be restricted to such defaulters.
