Five panchayats in Erode district would be made model panchayats with implementation of the total sanitation scheme and full coverage of toilets, District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) officials said.
The panchayats are Pazhamangalam (Modakurichi Block) Varadhanallur (Bhavani Block), Karapalayam (Erode block), Pariyur (Gobichettipalayam) and Kullappanaickkenpalayam in T. N. Palayam Block.
The DRDA officials said a camapign has been conducted on the harmful effects of open defecation and the need to construct toilets in their houses. Pamphlets are also distributed every Monday during ‘grievances day’ in this regard, they said.
The total sanitation scheme envisages constructing domestic toilets at Rs 11,000 each. The union government would put in Rs 7600 and the state government Rs 2,500, while the beneficiary’s share would be just Rs 900, they said.
The officials said a plan to construct 1.10 lakh toilets in various panchayats in the district under the union government’s Nirmal Bharath Abiyan scheme had been sent for approval.