September 25th 2024.
Union Minister CR Paatil is set to embark on a visit to Odisha on Thursday, in support of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva campaign. This campaign aims to promote sanitation and cleanliness in rural India and has seen widespread participation across the country. Paatil will be accompanied by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, and together they will review Odisha's progress in waste management, Open Defecation-Free Plus status, and sanitation efforts under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen.
Their visit will kick off with a tree plantation drive in Suando village, the birthplace of renowned social reformer Utkalamani Pandit Gopabandhu Das. As part of the "Ek ped maa ke naam" initiative, the event will also include a visit to the Utkalamani Memorial Museum. From there, the duo will head to Bidyadharpur village, where Paatil will interact with beneficiaries of the Individual Household Latrines program and assess the state's progress in sanitation infrastructure.
A convention at Biraramachandrapur Gram Panchayat will mark the launch of the Village Water and Sanitation Committee Training Manual, with demonstrations of water testing by women's self-help groups. The event will also include an award ceremony for the best-performing Gram Panchayats in terms of sanitation and cleanliness. During their review, Paatil and Majhi will focus on sustaining the Open Defecation-Free status, promoting the use of plastic waste in road construction, and involving self-help groups in the operation and maintenance of sanitation assets.
This visit is part of Odisha's massive efforts under the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, which has already seen 25,376 planned events and the transformation of 2003 Cleanliness Target Units. The state has also established 314 Safai Mitra Suraksha Shivirs for the welfare of sanitation workers. So far, over 20.7 lakh people have participated in 11,799 completed events. To further promote the safety of sanitation workers, a major event is scheduled for September 26 across all 314 blocks of Odisha.
The Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, which began on September 17 and will run until October 1, will culminate on Gandhi Jayanti, marking the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. It has been a successful initiative, with Odisha witnessing significant progress in achieving ODF Plus Model village status, with 65.88% of villages already reaching this milestone. The state has also made arrangements for greywater management in 91.38% of villages and solid waste management in 70.69% of villages. This visit by Union Minister CR Paatil and Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi serves as a testament to their dedication and commitment towards promoting sanitation and cleanliness in rural India.
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