After Senapati, Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts, Kangpokpi has become the fourth Open Defecation Free (ODF) district in Manipur, sources available here said on Friday.
There are 16 districts in the State.
Deputy Commissioner of Kangpokpi district, Rangtabali Waikhom declared Kangpokpi district as ODF district in Manipur on September 24 at a simple function held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Kangpokpi following the completion of the construction of household toilets for 18,056 families in Kangpokpi district under the initiative of PHED Kangpokpi division, sources added.
According to executive engineer R K Deven of PHED, Kangpokpi division as per the reports culled here, the toilets were constructed for 6420 beneficiary households of Kangpokpi Block, 5291 beneficiary households of Saitu Gamphazol Block and 6345 beneficiary households of Saikul Block.
Though Senapati district bordering Nagaland was declared first ODF district during an official function at Senapati district headquarters on March 28 earlier this year, no official function was organized even though the district administration named Bishnupur as second ODF district in the State in June.
Bishnupur achieved ODF status in mid-April while Churachandpur on August 11.
The declarations were made following the total construction of individual household latrines as per baseline survey of 2012.
ODF primarily means eradication of open defecation in the entire community by providing toilets to those who do not have sanitary latrines in their households.
It stated that the verification process for the same will be completed within three months from the date of declaration.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin is a flagship programme of Central Government and under this programme 4,46,401 rural households, 3,919 government schools, 1,201 Angawadis of the State are to be provided sanitary latrines by October 2, 2019.
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh while attending successful completion of four years of Narendra Modi government under the banner ‘Vishesh Samprak Abhiyan’ in Imphal in May 2018, had announced that all the 27 towns of the State will be ODF by November 2018.
