ODF drive: Tribals of Mavudi show the way in V’nagaram

Vizianagaram: At a time when the district administration is taking up various awareness programmes to motivate households in plain areas to construct toilets with an incentive given under the Swach Bharat Abhiyan, a remote tribal village in the district is showing the way by going

open defecation

free (ODF).

The villagers of Mavudi, a remote tribal hamlet in the upper reaches of Salur mandal, with barely 120 hutments, have set the tone for the entire district through full utilisation of toilets that have been built under the ODF drive.

The residents consisting chiefly of the Muka Dora tribe have taken the ODF drive forward in the Agency areas and are proving to be more hygiene conscious than some of the residents in the plains and even Vizianagaram town. The Swachh Bharat drive was taken up by the youngsters, who played a proactive role in transforming the toilet habits of their co-residents.

G Jaya, Class X student of the village, said: “The drive was initiated by the youngsters, especially those studying in schools and junior colleges. We convinced our elders on the advantages of using toilets. We were actually surprised by the fact that scientific reasons convinced the elders to use individual toilets.” The organisers of the drive led by a woman named Seethamma, pointed that the public are quite comfortable with the toilets and are fully utilising them.

District collector Vivek Yadav was told by the villagers that they want the district administration to provide them running water and tap connections in all the toilets.

Speaking to TOI, Yadav said: “The mood was upbeat and extremely positive. The residents are very forward looking and keeping this in mind we are pushing for pre-fabricated toilets in hill top areas.”