Pune district to soon be open-defecation free

Pune district is aiming to make itself free from open-defecation after crossing the March 31 deadline. The Pune Zilla Parishad has asked Women Gram Sabha and Women Self-Help Groups across the district to spread the awareness among the rural families and ensure that they use newly-constructed toilet blocks. Last year, the Pune district constructed over a lakh of public toilets, still very few families used these toilet blocks. To make sure that more and more families use the toilets and avoid open-defecation, the district administration has taken up the task. As per the information given to The Times of India, Rahul Sakore, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (Water and Sanitation), Pune Zilla Parishad, said,  "Our next move is to ensure that the toilet blocks aren't used for any other purpose as has been reported in many other parts of the state. We will request the Women Gram Sabha members and members of Self-Help Groups to sensitise the families that aren't using the toilet blocks. If families do not use the toilet blocks, then the administration will take up the case accordingly.” He further informed, “1,400 Gram Panchayats (Local Governing Bodies) in the district have been declared open-defecation free. Members of the gram panchayats have also been told that they should ensure that the toilet blocks are used.” Joining their hands with ten other districts to achieve open-defection free status, Pune is also in the process to make itself a complete open-defecation free district.