ANNOUNCEMENTS
With the rapid urbanization there are increasing challenges in the urban sanitation sector. Unsafe sanitation practices such as open defecation has significantly reduced still being practiced in many regions of the world. A lack of toilets and basic water and sanitation services coerce population of the areas to go out in the open and defecate which results in the spread of contagious diseases and other human health hazards. Although, several studies have reported the occurrence of open defecation despite the presence of toilets there are other interrelated factors associated with the problem. In India, urban poverty, customary practices, caste related factors play a significant role in the rampant behaviour of open defecation. With the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission in India efforts are being put to eradicate open defecation targeting behavior change. This study focuses on the Visakhapatnam City and how the city has managed to become open defecation free and transitioned to a higher ODF++ Status. The learnings from the ODF elimination in the city can provide insights towards making cities sanitation status more sustainable and eradicating open defecation. The study has used secondary literature to find steps taken to achieve open defecation free status. Findings from the literature suggest that WSUP funded by USAID has provided technical assistance to GVMC and aided in creating a city-wide strategy on sanitation which shows stakeholder engagement aids in achievement of desired outcomes. The approach of attaining ODF status on the level of wards instead of the whole city made the task manageable. Strong Political will and leadership by municipal authorities have been beneficial in the implementation of sanitation strategy for the city.
Keywords- Open Defecation Free, Urban Sanitation, Visakhapatnam, Toilet facility, Sanitation status.
