Concrete road becomes toilet as Chikkajantakal’s ODF claim crumbles

Koppal: Eight years after being declared open defecation-free (ODF), Chikkajantakal village in Gangavathi taluk of Koppal district has witnessed a disturbing reversal. In the absence of functional toilets, women residents, particularly from Ambedkar Nagar, are once again being forced to defecate in the open.With neither individual household toilets nor usable community facilities available, women have turned a cement concrete (CC) road into an open defecation site. To maintain minimal privacy, they tie saris along both sides of the road, creating makeshift enclosures.Dalit women in the area said they have been demanding the construction of public toilets for several years, but their repeated pleas have allegedly gone unanswered. More than 50 families residing in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th wards do not have individual toilets. Two public toilets built nearly two decades ago collapsed long ago and were never rebuilt.Although the Swachh Bharat Mission provides a 50% subsidy for individual household toilets, residents allege that the scheme was not implemented in Dalit colonies, citing lack of space as the reason. The issue was also brought to the attention of district minister Shivaraj Tangadagi, but residents claim no action has followed.Adding to the irony, panchayat records reportedly indicate the existence of public toilets in the Ambedkar Nagar area, with Rs 70,000 allocated for their maintenance. However, on the ground, no functional toilets are available.Frustrated by years of inaction, the women said they have stopped submitting petitions and appeals. Instead, as a form of protest, they began using the road leading to the gram panchayat office for open defecation."We have no other choice. Since there is no community toilet, we are forced to use the road and tie saris for cover," said Channamallamma, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar.Panchayat development officer (PDO) Ravindra Prabhat acknowledged the lack of space for individual toilets and said a proposal had been submitted to the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board (KKRDB) for the construction of high-tech toilets. He also assured that temporary arrangements would be made using maintenance grants.However, residents said no concrete steps have been taken so far, leaving women to continue relying on makeshift sari-covered spaces, underscoring the stark gap between official claims and the reality on the ground.