New Delhi:(Page3 News Network)-Union Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri Ajay Maken today informed that the Government had decided to provide financial support to the State Governments for total eradication of dry latrines from urban areas during the next two years. The total cost of this project is estimated at Rs 481.45 crore, of which the central share will be of Rs 367.33 crore, while the rest will be borne by the State Governments and beneficiaries, Shri Maken said. The Census of India 2011 had come up with figures that point out that nearly 2.08 lakh dry latrines still exist in urban areas where night soil is removed by the humans. Of these, more than 50% ie. 1.06 lakh existed in UP alone, Shri Maken informed. Elaborating further, the Minister said that since it is a demand driven scheme, State Governments should sensitise various urban local bodies to identify such households and motivate them to get their dry latrines converted. He said that he would be personally writing to all the Chief Ministers in this regard and had already discussed the issue with the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh in a meeting on 7th November 2012 and had asked him to expedite work on the same.
The guidelines of the revised above mentioned Integrated Low Cost Sanitation Scheme envisages conversion of all existing dry latrines into twin pit pour flush latrines as well as construction of new toilets for EWS house-holds, where latrines do not exist, in urban areas across the country.
The Scheme provides for an upper revision in the per unit cost from Rs 10,000/- to Rs 15,000/- (for Hilly areas from Rs 12,500/- to Rs 18,750/-). When the States decide to adopt environment friendly and maintenance free technologies like bio-toilets/eco-san toilets or any other such innovative technologies, it is proposed to provide additional funding up to 15% over and above the normal cost. Unit cost of bio-toilets/eco-san toilets for general category will be Rs 17,250/- (for Hilly areas Rs 21,500/-).
The obnoxious practice of manual scavenging or engaging fellow human beings into cleaning the untreated human excreta has been banned under the ‘Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrine (Prohibition) Act, 1993’ which prohibits construction and/or maintenance of dry latrines and employment of manual scavengers.
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