Chhattisgarh has 63 ODF Plus villages Lagan Ram Thakur is the proud Sarpanch of Udari village – an ODF (open defecation free) Plus village in Surguja District of Chhattisgarh. Sustaining the ODF status of their Gram Panchayat (GP), the need to effectively practice solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness of their village are top on the agenda during their Gram Sabha meetings. The Sarpanch owes it to the 30 odd Swachhagrahis that help keep their GP clean. In addition, two women have been hired to collect waste from the houses and deposit the same in the shed where it is segregated. User charges of Rs.20 per household and Rs. 300 each from shops and hotels is charged. While biodegradable waste is treated at the 10 cemented vermi-compost pits that have been built, the non-biodegradable material such as plastic and bottles are sold to the two recyclers who visit their villages. Further, soak pits have been constructed near all the seven handpumps because of which there is no overflow of used water or stagnation. The Sarpanch takes pride in the fact that hygiene and sanitation are taught in schools and all their schools and anganwadis have adequate toilet facilities. A total of 63 villages in Chhattisgarh were recently declared ODF Plus. They were so declared through a Gram Panchayat resolution. They are: • Balod District: Kanwar, Perpar • Baloda Bazar: Kharwe • Bemetara District: Andu, Rakhi • Bijapur District: Timed, Murdanda • Bilaspur District: Pipra, Dumariha, Taraigoan, Karhi Kachhar, Ranigaon, Parsada • Dantewada District: Chitaloor, Teknar, Badepaneda, Binjam, Jhodiyawadam • Dhamtari District: Parastarai, Semra B • Durg District: Basni, Dhaur, Kodiya, Machandur, Risama, Amleser, Kohi • Jashpur District: Gholeng, Dipatoli • Kanker District: Samabalpur, Karrajaisa, Diyagaon, Karramad, Madle, Chhote Kapsi, Basanwahi, Sarona • Kondagaon District: Badagaon, Titirwand, Makdi • Korba Katghora District: Dhelwadih • Raigarh District: Kotra • Raipur District: Palaud, Bancharouda, Pathari • Rajnandgaon District: Kutulbod Bhatagaon • Surguja District: Karamaha, Mangari, Sarmana, Batwahi, Dhaurpur, Lundra, Raghunathpur, Riri, Lamgaon, Udari, Bandana, Kot, Guturma, Hardisand, Petla, Ulakiya, Udaipur All these villages have fulfilled the parameters of: • 100 per cent usage of individual household latrines and one Community Sanitary Complex (CSC) per village • Proper management of solid and liquid waste, particularly plastic • No littering within the village premises District Coordinator, Surguja, Mr. Roshan Gupta shed light on how 17 villages in the district were inspired to become ODF Plus. Ahead of the declaration, several meetings were held with the Sarpanch, Secretary, Panch, Swachhagrahis and other Panchayat officials and members both at Mohalla and village meetings as well as Ratri Chaupals. They discussed the importance of sustaining ODF status and the various components of ODF Plus such as solid and liquid waste management and visual cleanliness of villages – all of which will contribute to according girls and women their due respect and improving the atmosphere in the villages. Such meetings along with slogans promoting key sanitation messages inspired the communities to make their villages ODF Plus. About sustaining their ODF Plus status, the District Coordinator informed that swachhagrahi groups are working tirelessly to carry out various awareness generation activities as mentioned in their swachhata registry. These include – door to door visits, swachhata talks, handwashing programmes, shramdaan, mohalla and night meetings, slogan writing on walls, swachhata group election, talks by PRI, Anganwadi, Health officials and teachers on segregation at source, composting, recycling, liquid waste management and usage and maintenance of individual and community toilets. Inputs: District Coordinator – Roshan Gupta .