Sanitation project in K'taka dist to give fillip to hygiene

Mysore, Apr 22 (UNI) Hygiene and sanitation in the backward district of Chamarajanagara in Karnataka will get a boost when lavatory facilities will be provided to 1.37 lakh below poverty line (BPL) households under the Total Sanitation Campaign project.

The Centrally-sponsored project, expected to be completed by 2009, on envisages strong emphasis on information, education and communication to increase people's awareness on sanitary practices, health issues and usage of safe drinking water.

Chamarajanagara zilla panchayat would implement the project in all the 120 gram panchayats in the district.

Chamarajanagara ZP sources told UNI that the project would be implemented under the supervision of the ZP Chief Executive Officer.

The ZP Deputy Secretary would coordinate the programme, supported by project consultants and district officers. Village Water and Sanitation Committees have been made statutory bodies of the gram panchayats by amending the Panchayat Act.

It was proposed to form such committees in all the villages under the community-based rural water supply and total sanitation campaign to facilitate smooth and speedy implementation of the project and take responsibility for operation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities.

The sources said the project would also focus on self help groups to improve the health and hygienic status of women in rural areas.

According to the 2001 census, the sanitation coverage was only seven per cent in Karnataka, which had reportedly grown to 18 per cent in the last three years.

The situation was rather critical in the district. Of the 2.02 lakhs families in the district, 1.73 lakhs were living in rural areas. Of the total 1.37 lakhs BPL households, only 27,547 had individual toilets and among the 35,297 APL houses, only 6,500 had it, registering a total sanitation coverage of 19.67 per cent.

A sum of Rs 11.62 crore would be spent for the construction of community and individual toilets, covering schools and anganwadi centres in the region. The State Government would pay Rs 1,500, Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 each for the construction of toilets for individual households, schools and anganwadi centres respectively.

According to the project approved programmes, the Centre would release Rs 7.43 crore, the State Government Rs 2.30 crore and the rest Rs 1.87 crore would be borne by the beneficiaries. The Union Government had already released Rs 2.20 crore and the State Government Rs 72 lakhs to the Chamarajanagara zilla panchayat.

UNI