People and local self bodies of Wayanad in Kerala can be proud as they are the ones who follow best hygiene practices in the country. Wayanad has come top in the ODF (open defecation free) Plus rankings of the Swachh Bharat Mission in the three-star category.
Wayanad achieved this honour after all villages in the district were made ODF through concerted efforts by the grama panchayats in the district.
“The objective of ODF Plus ranking is to make villages cleaner and more hygienic by implementing better interventions in the field of solid and liquid waste management. The ranking is part of a plan to improve the hygiene habits of people in rural areas and make villages cleaner, more beautiful, and litter-free,” said an official statement.
A senior official with Wayanad district administration said the panchayats in the district have successfully implemented various waste management projects that include organic and non-organic waste with the support of
Haritha Karma Sena. “The panchayats constructed toilets for houses that did not have proper sanitation, renovated and constructed public toilets, established public organic waste management facilities and public liquid waste management facilities,” the officers said. A total of 51 villages in the district were declared ODF Plus after conducting geo-tagging and block level verification.
ODF Plus is a higher status than open defecation free status. Wayanad achieved the ODF Plus status by adhering to strict hygiene norms and waste management system. Wayanad came first after an audit was conducted on maintenance of public spaces which should be free of stagnant water, waste heaps, and waste management systems at homes and schools.
Apart from conducting massive door to door awareness campaigns on waste management, the district also implemented a community compost system, liquid waste management system, non-organic waste collection and treatment system to win the top position.
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