Sikkim
has become the only state in the country to achieve more than 100 percent
sanitation in rural and urban households, schools, sanitary complexes and
Aanganwadi centres. All 6,10,577 inhabitants in Sikkim have latrines with high
sanitation and hygiene standards.
The
Himalayan state has constructed 98,043 individual household latrines
against the target of 87,014
till January, thus achieving 112.67 percent target under Nirmal Bharat
Abhiyan scheme implemented by Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation,
an official release said. The state has also sensitised people to adopt a
holistic approach to improve sanitation and hygiene in a clean environment
while accelerating its overall development.
A
total of 1,772 schools have been covered under the total sanitation programme
as against the target of 1,604 schools, thus achieving 110.47 percent of the
goal. Achieving 140.05 percent success,
altogether 1,105 sanitary complexes were constructed as against the target of
789. Also, a 151.76 percent target was
achieved with a total of 516 Anganwadi toilets constructed in the state as
against the target of 340. The
initiative was launched way back in 1999 by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for
achieving full sanitation in 7,096 sq km area of the state covering both rural
and urban areas in all four districts. It
has been made mandatory for all gram sabhas to take up sanitation as a top
priority on their agenda.
So
far, 163 panchayats in the state have been conferred monetary rewards 'Nirmal
Gram Puruskar' for developing sufficient sanitation facilities of adequate
quality in their respective areas. According to a survey conducted in 20 gram
panchayats by Planning Commission, 17 village councils of Sikkim were
declared as 'best performance panchayats', which is highest in the country.
Sikkim also topped the list among all states of the country in net performance
indicators.
