Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, June 10: Now that Nagaland has been declared open defecation-free (ODF), the next step for the state government is to build community toilets and bring about change in the mindset of the people, according to the Minister for Public Health Engineering department, Jacob Zhimomi.
Speaking to Eastern Mirror on Monday, Zhimomi said: “We are really progressing as far as rural sanitation is concerned and the next step is to achieve the ODF+ under the same mission.” He further added that the ministry has given Nagaland “a good grade” for achieving rural sanitation.
Zhimomi informed that by December 2019, the department would wrap up all projects under Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin and start a new mission involving supply of drinking water to rural households.
“We will be switching the priority to a mission known as Jal Jeevan Mission where 50% of drinking water supply will be provided to rural households,” he said.
Also, Zhimomi informed that even as Nagaland was declared open defecation- free last year, verifications were yet to be completed. As of June 9, he informed, only a few villages in Mon district were yet to be verified.
The process will be completed by next month, according to Zhimomi.
