Construct 16,877 private sanitary latrines by Feb 2017: DC tells PHE

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, August 31: With his eyes set on getting Kamrup(M) declared a district ‘free from open defecation’, Deputy Commissioner M Angamuthu has asked the PHE Department to complete the sanitary latrines, taken up under the Kamrup(M) District Sanitation Scheme (KMDSS) way back in 2012-2013, by February 2017.

In order to get the district declared as one free from open defecation, a scheme was taken for the construction of as many as 24,414 private sanitary latrines under the KMDSS in fiscal 2012-13. However, of them only 7,537 sanitary latrines were constructed, and the 16,877 are still to be completed. This statistics came to light at a review meeting of the works of the schemes at the Circuit House here today. The meeting held with Kamrup (M) ZPC chairperson Kunjalata Das was attended, among others, by the scheme’s vice chairman M Angamuthu, MLAs Atul Bora and Ramendra rayan Kalita, Kamrup (M) ZPC executive officer Ramen Sarma, PHE Executive Engineer Nikunja Uzir and all other officials associated with the scheme. The DC also asked the PHE to consult the MLAs concerned if they are to add more sanitary latrines under the scheme.

In order to make the Swachh Bharat Mission a success, the DC asked the NGO, Centre for Environment Education, to consult the MLAs.

Meanwhile, Dispur MLA Atul Bora expressed his dissatisfaction over the large number of water supply schemes that have been lying idle in his LAC. He also asked to department to see that the low-quality pipes for carrying water are replaced with pipes of better quality.