The Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat has directed gram panchayats in the district to undertake a special campaign to achieve “waste-free, sustainable and clean” villages as waste dumping and burning of plastic waste in open places were still visible at some places.
Though 322 villages in the district out of 354 were declared open defecation free (ODF)-plus villages, scientific waste disposal appears absent in some places with waste being thrown in open places, including drains, regretted ZP CEO Narwade Vinayak Karbari while issuing directions to GPs in this regard recently. While maintaining cleanliness was the responsibility of the community, Panchayats have the duty to create awareness about cleanliness and provide quality service, he reminded them.
Mr. Karbari noted that the Panchayats should ensure that all houses in their limits should have functional toilets even as public utilities, including educational institutions, panchayat buildings etc., should have functional toilets for men and women separately. The Panchayats should have made adequate arrangements for managing solid and liquid waste while ensuring no waste water and trash accumulate in open places.
He also told them to communicate to people about the village being declared ODF compliant through pictures and graffiti. Remaining villages should make earnest efforts to attain the status of ODF Plus, he said. The focus to attain sustainability should be on preventing stagnation of waste water and accumulation of waste in open places, he reminded.
