Muddebihal taluk has been facing open defecation problems for many years yet the gram panchayat has not taken any initiative in constructing the toilets under the Swacch Bharat Scheme.
Villagers of Muddebihal Taluk are forced to travel nearly 2 kilometers every day to defecate as the villages in the taluk have no toilets.
Bhagyamma, a resident of the taluk said, “We have no toilets in our village. We should travel 2 kilometers every day to defecate and there is no security for us when we go out in the morning and evenings. Our houses are too small to build the toilets?”
Dr. Prakash HS, Chief Engineer, Department of Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of Karnataka said, “We are towards progress, we have released funds for the construction of toilets. In 3 years probably we will be done with constructions. There is water scarcity and this is the main reason for not being able to build toilets, as we face cleaning issues.”
As per the government of Karnataka, the state is declared as 99.7 percent open defecation free, but there are no toilets in the village yet. The Gram Panchayat received funds for this Scheme in the year 2017 but has neither constructed tanks nor supplied water lines in the taluk.
Prof. Naga Raj Gupta, HOD East West Institute of Technology, who has worked for a survey of sanitation said, “Open defecation is a huge problem in districts of North Karnataka, the government should build some toilets and provide facilities to people as women are facing issues while open defecation.”
