Chandigarh set to get ODF++ ranking for clean toilets, well-maintained sewage plants

CHANDIGARH: In a significant move, the Centre has kept Chandigarh in the ODF++ category for the current year and is going to announce the ODF++ ranking for Chandigarh on October 2.
The move has come after a team of the central government visited different areas in the city a few weeks ago to carry out physical inspections of toilets, documents and other related matters.
In its detailed report, the Union government stated that it found that they checked toilets of every category and found them fit to get the ODF++ status. Out of the total 274 toilets in the city, the team had chosen 80 toilets for checking.
Apart from the toilets, all the sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the city were also given the ODF++ status. “In addition to the physical inspection, the documentation done by the teams of the STPs situated at Maloya, Diggian, Raipur Kalan, Raipur Khurd, Dhanas and near 3BRD in Sector 47 was found to be complete. Moreover, during the inspection of the toilets, the Chandigarh received clean, very clean, excellent and aspirational categories,” said sources.
The team had visited the toilets of the residential, commercial, public, transport and schools areas and had also visited the toilets situated near water bodies, roads and streets and all of them were given the ODF++ ranking.
“This time, the teams of the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs had visited the city a few weeks ago and they inspected everything including toilets and STPs, and also assessed the documents according to the parameters laid down by the ministry. They stayed here for four days,” sources added.
The development is quite crucial for the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) since the civic authority had missed the ODF++ tag last year and was only given the ODF status. Due to this, the authority had to face severe criticism.
Long way ahead
Though Chandigarh is going to receive the ODF++ status this year, their efforts do not end here, as much still needs to be done in this regard. Since many toilets of the city, located in different areas, are still in bad shape, closed or not working due to lack of maintenance, etc, the civic body will have to pay extra attention towards making them properly operational for the benefit of the residents