Gram panchayats have been working to achieve the target of open defecation-free villages.
The UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) has praised the West Bengal government's initiatives on solid waste management, and emphasised on the need for faecal, plastic and liquid waste control in rural areas of the state.
Mohammad Mohiuddin, Chief, UNICEF-West Bengal, said the state has made considerable progress on Open Defecation Free (ODF) plus initiatives amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"A ODF plus village is one which sustains its Open Defecation Free status, ensures solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean," Mohiuddin said on the sidelines of a state-level workshop on Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG) here on Thursday.
Officials of several states, including West Bengal, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh took part in the workshop, discussed best practices and exchanged ideas.
"This workshop offered our officials opportunities to learn more about successful and sustainable ODF plus interventions in other states," said Santhosha G R, Mission Director, SBMG.
"UNICEF has supported the West Bengal government in Detailed Project Report (DPR) preparation for faecal sludge management for Pratapaditya Nagar gram panchayat of Kakdwip sub-division in South 24-Parganas district," Mohiuddin said.
Gram panchayats in the state have been working with self-help groups, Non-government organisations (NGOs) and private companies to achieve the target of open defecation-free villages, officials added.
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