Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : A regional review meeting of the North Eastern States was held at Guwahati, Assam, on November 14, 2018. The workshop comprised discussions on sustaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM), and rural water supply. Teams from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim joined the review.
Key aspects of sustainability such as geo-tagging, verification of ODF villages, conversion of dysfunctional toilets, IEC expenditure, Swachhagrahi engagement were reviewed. Speaking on the occasion, ParameswaranIyer, Secretary, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, emphasised the importance of the joint effort being made by the Central and State SBM teams towards sustaining gains made under the programme so far. He spoke about the importance of continued focus on behaviour change communication and periodic verifications to ensure that the safe sanitation habits and practices developed over the past few years are sustained in the future as well.
The teams from the ODF States of the region spoke about efforts to sustain their ODF status. Sikkim highlighted the solid and liquid waste management initiatives being undertaken in the first ODF State of the country. Non-ODF States committed to declaring themselves as ODF by December 2018. Assam shared highlights of “Mission Sambhav” under which more than one lakh pit digging activities were initiated on a single day during the Swachhata Hi Seva fortnight, according to a PIB release.
Akshay Rout, Director General, Special Projects , Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, referred to the importance of the sustainability phase of SBM and the necessity for the managers for regular monitoring.