This story is from January 30, 2019

'Uttarakhand no ODF ': Over 65,000 household toilets yet to be constructed, reveals RTI

After a report of theComptroller and Auditor General (CAG) stated that declaration of Uttarakhand’s rural areas as open defecation free was ‘incorrect’, an RTI reply has revealed that more than 65,000 household toilets in 10 districts and more than 1,300 public toilets across Uttarakhand are yet to be constructed.
'Uttarakhand no ODF ': Over 65,000 household toilets yet to be constructed, reveals RTI
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Key Highlights
  • This comes after a report of the CAG stated that declaration of Uttarakhand’s rural areas as open defecation free was 'incorrect'.
  • The RTI query was filed by Haldwani-based activist Hem Chandra Kapil and the reply was provided by Uttarakhand Rural Drinking Water and Cleanliness Project.
NAINITAL: After a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) stated that declaration of Uttarakhand’s rural areas as open defecation free was ‘incorrect’, an RTI reply has revealed that more than 65,000 household toilets in 10 districts and more than 1,300 public toilets across Uttarakhand are yet to be constructed.
The RTI query was filed by Haldwani-based activist Hem Chandra Kapil and the reply was provided by Uttarakhand Rural Drinking Water and Cleanliness Project.

According to the RTI reply, Udham Singh Nagar district needs 17,004 toilets, followed by Haridwar (8,203) and Uttarkashi (6518).
The data further pointed out that 5801 toilets are yet to build in Tehri, followed by Pauri (5085), Champawat (3302), Pithoragarh (3112), Rudraprayag (2200), Bageshwar (1087) and Dehradun district (335).
“The state is definitely not open defecation free. The data clearly contradicts the government’s claims,” RTI activist Kapil told TOI.
The activist further said that the data from three districts— Nainital, Almora and Chamoli— are still pending and can take the number even higher.
The activist has also sought letters signed by the district magistrates of all 13 districts who declared their respective districts as open defecation free.

Commenting on the RTI findings, state cabinet minister and spokesperson of Uttarakhand government, Madan Kaushik said, “The construction of toilets were carried out as per the 2011 census data, and on that basis, the state was declared open defecation free. We have taken note of it. Areas with increased requirements will be provided for adequately.”
Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report for the year 2016-2017 was tabled in Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly in September 2018 stating that the declaration of the state as ODF was “incorrect”.
The CAG report, which was tabled in assembly in September last year, states, “The planning and implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission by the state was found inadequate as against the target of 546 community sanitary complexes, only 63 and out of total 4,485 solid and liquid waste management structures, only 50 were constructed up to March 2017.”
The CAG refuted claims by the department that all 265 villages in 132 gram panchayats along the Ganga had been declared ‘Open Defecation Free’ in May last year.
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