4 out of 5 houses in the village do not have toilets built and walk down to the nearby farmland to defecate and relieve themselves.
19Th November 2019, Bengaluru
By Ambalika Banerjee
Villagers of Murkigudda tanda from Sirwar taluk are defecating in the open due to lack of public and private toilets in the area. 4 out of 5 houses in the village do not have toilets built and walk down to the nearby farmland to defecate and relieve themselves.
Devi, a resident of Murkigudda tanda, said, “We use a bucket and walk a long distance to defecation, there is no water and bathroom for defecation. Government people ask us to build the toilet first and then take time to refund the amount. We don’t have money now how will we build the toilets?”
Last year during November, The state government declared Karnataka open defecation free. Karnataka becomes the 26th state in India to be open defecation free post the launch of Swacch Bharat Mission.
Sarana Basawa, a resident of Murkigudda tanda, said, “we don’t have toilets in our house; my friend gives me ride on his motorbike every morning to the fields. The fund allocated is not enough for any construction.”
With a population of 19,295, Sarwar is a village located in Manvi taluk of Raichur district, Karnataka. The village is administered by the Town panchayat. In the financial year of 2019-20, the Government of India has allocated Rs.10, 000 cores of a fund to Swachh Bharat Mission –Gramin.
Om Prakash Manehendrakar, Chief Officer Town of Panchayat Sarwar, said, “We got 517 applications under IHL, from which we have approved 491 applications to build toilets. I have closed 24 applications because they already had toilets in their house and still applied for it. 489 constructions have been approved and are pending, will soon get it done.”
A public health Officer from BBMP shares health issues that happen due to open defecation. Dr.B.K Vijandar, Chief health officer (public health) of BBMP, said, “it causes contagious diseases; it spreads cholera, hepatitis, typhoid kind of diseases because of open defecation. It causes communicable diseases.”
On 2nd October 2019, on the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister of India declared India to be 99.9% Open Defecation free. However, Sirwar Taluk is far from being open defecation free.
