It's time to tell bbmp whether bengaluru is 'open defecation-free'


It's time to tell bbmp whether bengaluru is 'open defecation-free'

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It's time to tell BBMP whether Bengaluru is 'Open Defecation-Free' - Citizen Matters Follow us on: On December 30, 2018, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) issued a


public notice declaring all 198 BBMP wards ‘open defecation free’. It was approved by the BBMP council on December 27, 2018, three days prior to the distribution of the notice. This is a


required criterion under Swacch Bharath Mission to be considered for higher ranking in Swacch Sarvekshan Survey 2019 which will begin soon. WHAT IS OPEN DEFECATION-FREE AREA? According to


the definition given by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2015, “ODF is the termination of faecal-oral transmission, defined by a) no visible faeces found in the


environment/village; and b) every household as well as public/community institutions using safe technology option for disposal of faeces.” What is safe technology? The document says that


safe technology means “no contamination of surface soil, ground water or surface water; excreta inaccessible to flies or animals; no handling of fresh excreta; and freedom from odour and


unsightly condition.” A check list from the guidelines for ODE verification. (Source: swachhbharatmission.gov.in) There are checklists described to declare a city/village/Gram Panchayat open


defecation free, according to a document released by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Animal excreta and open human urination do not fall under ODF yet. “There are criteria


for to declare wards open defecation free,” said Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Health and Solid Waste Management, BBMP. “Only where it is 75-80% free of open defecation can it be


declared ODF. If it is 100% free, then it is declared ODF+++. If people say their area is not open-defecation free, we will withdraw the ODF tag,” he clarified. ODF, ODF+ and ODF++ cities


concept (Source: PAS Project, CEPT University, Ahmedabad) While all the zones have been tagged ODF, the reality of the situation is different. In Kasavanahalli alone, early mornings and late


nights witness plenty of people still using the surrounding shrubbery to defecate in the open. Two labourers entering shrubbery with water containers, in Kasavanahalli. Pic: Rahna Jacob


There are almost no public toilets in the area that the floating population of construction workers and labourers can use. What toilets there are, tend to be dirty and ill-maintained,


discouraging anyone from using them. This is the story of most newly added areas to BBMP where public infrastructure has not expanded yet. Open defecation is prevalent in Kasavanahalli area


due to lack of access to clean toilets. Pic: Rana Jacob The BBMP has invited opinions and objections in writing from the public, which can be submitted to [email protected], or sent to


the Joint Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), 2nd floor, Annexe Building-02, Central Office, N.R. Square, Bengaluru-560002, up to 14th January. _Note: Jude Weston, an intern with Citizen


Matters, contributed to this story._ SIMILAR STORY Aruna runs a tiffin stall on the footpath along Hosur Road, close to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).


Her setup is temporary—just a foldable cot to lay out her dishes, partially shielded by a blue tarpaulin. The stove and dosa tawa sit exposed to the elements. “When the sun is out, the heat


becomes unbearable, and when it rains, we can’t make dosas at all. That directly affects our earnings,” she says. Every day, she spends nearly two hours setting up and packing down this


makeshift stall, even though the tarpaulin sheets offer little protection from… Continue reading SIMILAR STORY Every day, they show up, in the relentless heat or pouring rain.


Bengaluru's outdoor workers — traffic police, auto drivers, pourakarmikas, construction workers, street vendors and gig workers — battle dehydration, exhaustion, and health problems in


extreme weather with hardly any relief. They keep the city running but get little in return. This photo-essay puts a spotlight on their daily struggles and calls for urgent heat mitigation


measures. No exit lane from the heat: A traffic police officer’s account Three hours under the sun daily — not a choice but a daily reality for Assistant Sub-Inspector Satish KP of


Bengaluru… Continue reading We’re at 16 out of 100 donors. Will you be the next to contribute to our civic engagement work? Be Donor #17! ×