To promote hygienic habits among the denizens of the city, Ranchi Municipal Corporation will help in building 6,000 individual toilets under the Swachchh Bharat Mission. First instalment of the financial aid to be provided by the urban local body has already been transferred to the bank account of 3,000 beneficiaries.
“Ranchi is on the way become a Smart City and we need smarter people to achieve this goal. Cleanliness and sanitation are key factors regarding this initiative and we need toilets for this,” stated Mayor Asha lakra while addressing the gathering at offices of Ranchi chapter of Sulabh International Social Services Organisation observing World Toilet Day on Thursday.
“The beneficiaries who have received half of Rs12,000 for building toilets will get the final half only after they submit visual proof of proper utilisation of the allotted funds. Also, the financial aid provided to the beneficiaries is merely for the sake of encouraging them, people should not become completely dependent on government for building toilets,” added the Mayor.
Additionally, RMC has procured several mobile toilets, which will be used where toilets cannot be constructed or are needed in a hurry. “The primary targets of these portable rest rooms will be public gatherings for long periods of time so that those in the crowd do not defecate in the open. Those not used for this purpose will be stationed near slums of the city. With this, we will try to inculcate toilet-going habits among the slum-dwellers. More mobile toilets will be brought shortly,” informed Deputy Mayor Sanjeev Vijaywargia.
But the progress of the work in building toilets in city is held up by several factors, including technical hurdles and public irresponsibility.
“There are plans to build 18,500 toilets in Ranchi by RMC. But we usually face difficulties due as lack of holdings,” stated Ward-30 Councillor Om Prakash. People tend to delay submitting pictorial proof of work they have got done on their toilets, which impedes the rate of work, added Ward-37 Councillor Arun Jha.
“Discrepancies will crop up in any grand project and the plan to build toilets on such a great scale is no exception to this rule. Even so, we will identify the shortcomings during our board meetings and try to root them out. We might even appoint an agency to take over the supervision of the project,” stated Vijaywargia.
He further added, “With expansion of Ranchi, slums have come into existence in the city. We intend to build toilets for every resident of these slums on a priority basis.”