AP set to become first ODF State

In tune with the Central government’s programme of making the country free from open defecation, Andhra Pradesh has taken the lead and on October 2, it will be declared as the first State in the country to be declared as open defection free State. This was announced by Minister for Urban Development P. Narayana on the concluding day of the third BRICS Urbanisation Forum, here on

Friday. Construction of about 1.9 lakh toilets has already been completed, with Central assistance of Rs. 4,000 and State’s contribution of about Rs, 11,000, per toilet, he told told The Hindu . “We have completed 95 per cent of the works in 3,458 wards in 110 municipalities,” he said.

Urbanisation

According to him, the BRICS summit has been an eye-opener in many aspects. There are many things to learn from other countries, who have gone for urbanisation, decades ago.

In India 69 per cent of the population still live in villages whereas in Brazil it is just 16 per cent, Russia 27 per cent and South Africa 36 per cent.

In AP the urbanisation is just about 28 per cent and it needs to be improved, he said.

According to him, the government has liked the Brazilian model of inclusive housing, wherein financial gap between the cost of the house and the amount affordable by the resident, is filled by the government.

“We do not want to displace people from their present habitat. But build better homes with good facilities and with employment generation opportunities at the same place. Our pilot project will be at the Scavenger Colony in Tirupati and a 15-member team from the colony has been sent to Mumbai, where such a project has already come up,” he said.

Chinese model

Mr. Narayana said the municipal administration has been told to work out a solid waste management programme on the lines of the Chinese model.

In China there are about 150 plants producing energy from solid waste and another 150 are coming up.