Karnal to get ODF++ and Panchkula ODF+ status

KARNAL: The Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) received the Open Defecation-Free plus plus (ODF++) status under Swachh Survekshan 2019. The official declaration was made on February 5, 2019 after the report of the third party inspection of the Union Government was announced.

The city was inspected on January 27-28, 2019. The team inspected 16 community and public toilets, three treatment plants and other sites in Karnal. KMC ensured that there is no open urination and open defecation in the city.

The officials and residents are hopeful of getting the top rank in the country in Swachh Survekshan-2019 as Karnal city had secured the first place in Haryana and 41^st in India in Swachh Survekshan-2018. The city initiated scientific treatment of human waste through sewage treatment plants (STP).

Panchkula Municipal Corporation (PMC) was issued a certificate of ODF+ status by the Central Government on February 5, 2019. The inspection of the city was carried out by an inspection team from Delhi in the third week of January. The team inspected public places, including – individual, community and public toilets. 

According to the ODF guidelines, 10 washrooms in a city should have sanitary napkin vending machine, napkin destroyer and hand wash facility. PMC met these guidelines. The corporation has a sewage treatment plant for scientific disposal of human waste, which satisfied the inspection team. The team clicked more than 1,000 photographs of washrooms and uploaded it on the Central Government’s inspection portal. 

Rajesh Jogpal, Administrator-cum-Municipal Commissioner, PMC praised the work of all the employees of the civic body and urged them to continue with their work of keeping the city clean. The civic body got 250 extra points in the sanitation survey. He said that these points would to improve Panchkula’s rank in the Smart City list.