Odisha sets target to achieve 65 per cent IHHL coverage by

Odisha government today set a target to achieve at least 65 per cent individual household latrine (IHHL) coverage in the state by end of this March.
The direction in this regard was given to district collectors when Chief Secretary A P Padhi reviewed the progress of rural sanitation campaign under Swatchh Bharat Mission.
Though the IHHL coverage in Odisha has registred a quantum jump to 44 per cent over last 3 years, Padhi told collectors to further expedite it.
Padhi held review at a high level review meeting attended by Union Secretary of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Parameswaran Iyer and Odisha's Panchayati Raj secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh.

The district wise review was done over the video conferencing in which the collectors along with district level officials presented updates from their respective districts.
The review showed that the IHHL coverage in rural areas of the state by end of January, 2018 reached 56 per cent against the background of only 12 per cent coverage as per baseline survey of October, 2014.

Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh advised the collectors to utilize the manpower deployed for implementation of rural housing in the IHHL. The strategy of implementation should be same with the construction and completion of the dwelling houses.

He added around 7715 villages in 30 districts of the State have been declared ODF (Open Defecation Free).
Union Secretary Iyer advised to complete ODF status verification of these villages within 90 days from the day of ODF declaration and upload the results on the website.
Official sources said that after validation of the base line survey through a rigorous method of scrutiny, target has been set to cover around 82.34 lakh households under IHHL scheme.
Out of that more than 46.18 lakh of HHs (House Holds) have been covered by end of January, 2018.
So far, Deogarh district has been declared ODF district in the State. Target was set to make five more districts ODF in different phases by end of June, 2018. This perspective list included the districts like Jharsuguda, Balasore, Gajpati, Sambalpur and Sonepur, Singh said.