Hyderabad recertified ODF city

Hyderabad has been recertified as Open Defecation Free (ODF) city after it received ODF certification for the first time in December 2017, a GHMC press release stated.

As per norms, the ODF recertification verification happens every six months.

Authorities said that ODF recertification was possible only after the GHMC took up many initiatives. To begin with, the GHMC imposed fine on those indulging in open defecation and urination.

The fine collected from April till date is Rs 1,01,700 and to create awareness among the public, the GHMC also launched several campaigns like wall paintings, lathi-seeti and installing signages.

To achieve the target of ‘Swachh Hyderabad’ under the Swachh Bharat Mission, it constructed different categories of toilets across the city like BOT, prefabricated, Sulabh, Engineering and



SHE toilets (e-toilets) totalling 329.

Also, as per the Swachh Bharat Mission guidelines, 2,135 IHHLs (Individual Household Latrines) were constructed for households, which could not afford to construct toilets.

The municipal corporation constructed community toilets wherever there was no specific amenity to construct IHHL.

More importantly, the GHMC recently inaugurated modernised public toilets called Loo and Cafe at Madhapur. These toilets are equipped with coffee shop, free Wi-Fi, feeding room. Efforts are being made to install similar toilets at 150 locations across the city.

The GHMC has also obtained consent from about 259 fuel stations and 257 restaurants across the city to permit utilisation of their toilets by the general public, the release stated.