Rajasthan has witnessed an unprecedented overhaul of mindsets and perceptions over the last three years. Earlier, the Jaipur residents were of the opinion that toilets are of no use. It is a disgrace to the society. Others thought what is the need of a toilet when there are too many open spaces to answer nature’s call. Constructing a toilet was considered as a costly affair.
Today, the landscape is entirely different. The Raje-led government was determined to usher in a healthy attitude amongst the public and it was successful in its attempt. Capital city Jaipur has become the first city in Rajasthan to be declared open defecation free (ODF) in both urban and local areas.
Since 2014, year in which Raje-led government came to power, a total of 5,70,000 toilets in rural areas and 26,856 toilets in urban regions have been constructed in the district. The long overdue process of eradicating open defecation was catered to by the Rajasthan government.
As a part of the ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission, 235 municipalities in Jaipur, 91 wards of the municipal corporation in rural parts and 326 wards in urban areas have been declared open defecation free. Jaipur was ranked 215 among 434 cities in the list of this year’s Swachh Survekshan results
Some officials also noted the problem of open defecation was not only present in rural areas but also in urban areas. “The public and community toilets are maintained by private contractors who often fail to maintain basic hygiene and sanitation in the washrooms and hence cases of open defecation are recorded,” he said.
As per officials, the process of encouraging anti-open defecation activities was quite impressive and fast-paced, considering the negative thought process of many residents in the city. All in all, this is an important milestone in Rajasthan’s journey of becoming a totally ODF state in the coming times.
