North Delhi civic body 'fails' to get ODF status

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) has "failed" to get ODF certificate in a third-party survey conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission, sources have said.

They said that the third-party has sent its report to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, informing that the civic body has failed to get the Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in its survey.

The development comes days after areas falling under the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) were declared open defecation free in a survey conducted by the Quality Council of India.

"The NDMC has failed to get the ODF certification in a third-party independent survey," sources told PTI.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has blamed the AAP government for municipal corporations not having "happy record" under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

"Delhi doesn't have happy record and for this (NDMC's failure to get ODF status), I squarely blame the AAP government. They (AAP) are only indulged in disruption. If one asks about it, they pass the buck on MCD, but they forget MCDs are under the Delhi government. They don't want to take any responsibility of anything," Puri told PTI.

He said there are several urban local bodies which have improved a lot under the Swachh Bharat Mission, a flagship programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In 2014, there was only 34 per cent sanitation cover in the country, but today it has reached more than 95 per cent due to the Swachh Bharat Mission, Puri said, adding that it is a very positive moment in a very positive direction.

Reacting to the development, a top official in the NDMC said that the civic boy will again apply for the certificate with "full preparation".

"When we are fully confident, we will apply again... We are continuously working to ensure cleaning under Swachh Bharat Mission," the official said.