40 pc villages have achieved ODF+ status till now: Jal Shakti minister

About 40 per cent villages in the country have been declared ODF-plus till now, with 33 per cent villages achieving the status in the last one year, Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday.

In the next financial year, the target is to bring more than 50,000 villages in the ODF-plus category, he told reporters.

The top performing states are Telangana (100 per cent), Tamil Nadu (95 per cent) and Karnataka (93.5 per cent), the minister said.

The ODF-plus status is given to states that sustain their open defecation free status, ensure solid and liquid waste management, and are visually clean.

Among the fast growing states are Himachal Pradesh that grew from 18 per cent in April 1 last year to 80 per cent by March 31, Madhya Pradesh from six per cent to 62 per cent in the same period and Uttar Pradesh from 2 per cent to nearly 50 per cent, Shekhawat said.

About 40 per cent villages in the country have been declared ODF-plus till now and 33 per cent villages achieved the status in the last one year, he said.

The number of ODF-plus villages has increased from 46,121 (7.4 per cent) in March last year to 2,38,973 (40.21 per cent) in March, Shekhawat said.

Around Rs 52,049 crore fund has been budgeted by all states and Union Territories for Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase II activities through convergence for 2023-24, according to the minister.