Dakshina Kannada district declared Open Defecation Free

Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada district has been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF Plus-1) district.

In a simple ceremony held at the zilla panchayat hall on Sunday, zilla panchayat Deputy Secretary and Nodal Officer of Swaccha Bharat Mission K Anand Kumar unveiled the declaration board.

Kumar said the district achieved the status based on progress in rural drinking water and sanitation and construction of individual home toilets and solid waste management in the district.

“In all the houses in all the gram panchayats in the district toilets are being used. Community toilets have been constructed in some places where individual toilets are not available,” Kumar added.

“Dustbins have been distributed to every household for solid waste management in all villages and waste is collected through Swacchata Vahini, converted through recycling. Other garbage is being disposed of scientifically. Steps have been taken to ban single-use plastic within all gram panchayat limits,” Kumar said.