Bhubaneswar declared open defecation free

Bhubaneswar: In a good news for the denizens of Odisha capital, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) today declared the city open defecation free (ODF) ++. Announcing this, BMC Administrator and Director, Municipal Administration of the Odisha Government, Sangramjit Nayak said the status will be open for third party verification.

The official also added that BMC will proceed towards applying for the Garbage Free Cities (GFC) Star Rating as it has always been setting a benchmark of its own in the state and has become a role model for others. He also asked the sanitation team of BMC to get ready for the competition of all-India ranking in the 2020 Swachh Sarvekshan Survey.

It can be mentioned here that while the 2020 survey will involve 4830 urban local bodies this year, the GFC Star Rating will have a seven star rating programme for making Indian cities garbage free. Mentioning the faecal sludge treatment plant (FSTP) at Basuaghai as one of the state-of-the art facilities of city, which has invited great appreciation from other cities and the Centre, he called upon all stakeholders of the city, i.e. hotel associations, petrol pump owners and others to come forward and contribute towards the city’s beautification drives and make it one of the most beautiful, clean and green cities of the country through public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said, “With the ODF ++ declaration we are also going to request our citizens to become more and more responsible to make the Temple City clean, green and a good urban habitat. We have already launched a ‘Go Green Campaign’ to sensitise out citizens not to create more non-biodegradable wastes and they have responded positively.’’