15-member team from Tamil Nadu conclude 2-day Odisha visit

Bhubaneswar: A 15-member team of senior officers from the Tamil Nadu Government led by Ms R. Lalitha, Additional Commissioner, Municipal Administration including Mr Prasanth M.S, Additional Director Rural Development(G), Department of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj were on a two days visit to Odisha to study implementation FSTP management system through a community participation model including the involvement of MSGs, SDAs and the transgender groups and dislodging practices.

They also learnt about the Jal Sathis, operation of 24*7 Drink From Tap. Before leaving Bhubaneswar after their visit the team had an interaction with G Mathi Vathanan, Principal Secretary H&UD Department in Kharabela Bhawan yesterday.

During the discussion, the team members shared their learnings and were highly impressed and excited with the state’s community participation initiatives in all of its programme verticals, as well as in the way the “Garima” scheme brings safety in sewer and septic tank cleaning.

On their arrival the delegates had a meeting with Housing & Urban Development Department Officials presided over by DMA cum Mission Director SBM Shri Sangramajit Nayak. DMA Sri Nayak made a detailed understanding of the various people-centric programmes, FSSM value chain, Garima, the Dight platform and initiatives for urban-rural convergence being implemented in the State. Following the meeting, the team visited the Odisha Urban Academy and the FSTP in Basuaghai, Bhubaneswar. There they interacted with the transgender community and comprehended the group’s own operational and maintenance processes.

On the second day of their trip the team visited Cuttack Municipal Corporation to study the entire dislodging process, right from the time a caller dials the helpline number 14420 till the sludge is disposed of at the FSTP. The team was briefed by the CMC team led by a Ms Sanjibeeta Ray Deputy Commissioner, as to how the element of safety is prioritized after the implementation of the Garima Scheme and steps taken to prevent illegal cleaning and disposal. In the afternoon, they paid a visit to one of the Garima Gruhas, the resting lounge of Core Sanitation Workers, and were shown a display of the PPE, safety devices, and cleaning equipment used in sewer and septic tank cleaning. The team also interacted with Core Sanitation workers to get an understanding of the changes that have taken place in their personal as well as professional lives following the implementation of the Garima Scheme.

During the interaction session with Principal Secretary H&UD, among others Director Municipal Administration Sangramjit Nayak, Additional Secretary Durgesh Nandini Sahoo , EIC, OWSSB, P.K.Mohapatra and other departmental Officers were present .