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Recently, the Urban Development Department has declared the Athagarh Notified Area Council (NAC) as an open defecation-free (ODF) town. But one does not find any relevance of the certificate as in reality open defecation practice still prevails in some wards of the NAC.
Even though the NAC has sanctioned assistance for 1,496 latrines under the Swachhta Mission, most of these were given on the basis of ruling party pressure as alleged by locals. This apart, no awareness programme is conducted by the authorities to explain people regarding the demerits of open defecation.
It is alleged that only to obtain more grants ahead of the general elections, the department has hurriedly declared the Athagarh civic body as open defecation-free. When a survey was conducted by this correspondent, it was found that in Wards-1, 2, 7. 8 and 14, the practice of open defecation still persists.