Ahmedabad becomes first city to get ODF++ status

AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) after getting the Open Defecation Free Plus status has, within a fortnight, got the ODF ++ status. The ODF++ status is awarded to cities having smart toilets, no open drainages, and the city should have adequate sewerage treatment plants (STPs).
An AMC official said that to get the ODF ++ status the number of toilets matching the standards of hotels should be 25%.
"Moreover, all the toilets have to be listed as SBM (Swachh Bharat Mission) toilets on google map and can be easily traceable if one searches,” he said. He had earlier said that AMC was the first corporation to apply for the ODF ++ status and now has finally got the status.
The official said that a third-party inspection was carried out and it found that the AMC had, in almost all parts of the city, had closed drainage and especially the public toilets passed the test, while the STPs were found to bein perfect condition.
The official said that corporation was declared as an ODF city in 2015 and the certificate was again renewed in 2018. The corporation applied for an ODF-Plus status and the team carried out the survey. He clarified that earlier the team that surveyed in December had covered several toilets that were not within the corporation area.