'Swachhata dals' or vigilance squads comprising villagers are conducting a regular monitoring to ensure there is no open defecation in a development block in Chhattisgarh's Sarguja district.
The 'swachhata dals' set up in every villages in Batauli, anopen defecation free (ODF)development block in the district, blow whistle when they spot anyonereliving in open and imposes fine on them.
"Our village has been declared open defecation free (ODF) with the efforts of Panchayat and villagers, but to maintain that status, regular monitoring and inspection is necessary," said Phulkanwar Singh, panch of Birimkela village panchayat under Batauli block.
Phulkunwar was in Raipur yesterday under 'Hamar Chhattisgarh Scheme' of the state government under which panchayat representatives are taken on a study tour of various places, particularly the state capital,to make them aware of the achievements of the ruling BJP government.
She said that the 12-member Swachhta Dals comprise six men and as many women.
The squads are established in every villages under the development block.
They are tasked with the responsibility to ensure that no one defecates in open.
"On tenth of every month, these teams hold a meeting to review the sanitation status of their respective areas. It was not easy to curb open defecation. The initiative to stop this was undertaken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Swachhta Abhiyan' and called upon people to support the mission," she said.
The vigilance teams have been given a blue uniform so that they can be easily identified.
The team conducts regular inspection and if they catch anyone defecating in open, they blow whistle.
On the direction of village panchayat, a fine of Rs 500 is recovered from thosewho do not use toilets to relive themselves, she said, adding that the recovered penalty is deposited in the Panchayat fund.
As per the data of the state's Panchayat and Rural Development department, over 12,000 villages have become ODF in Chhattisgarh,which is expecting to achieve the target of becoming anODF state by October 2, 2018.
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