Question: Name the first States to become Open Defecation Free in urban areas?
(a) Karnataka, Gujarat
(b) Manipur, Maharashtra
(c) Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat
(d) Kerala, Andhra Pradesh
Ans: (c)
Related facts:
- On 2 October 2016 Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh become the first States to declare all cities and towns in respective States as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
- Districts including Porbandar also declared ODF, on the 147th Birth Anniversary of Mahatama Gandhi which is also the second anniversary of Swachh Bharat Mission.
- Porbandar, the native district of Mahatma and all the 180 cities and towns in Gujarat were declared ODF in the presence of Union Minister of Drinking Water & Sanitation Naredra Singh Tomar, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at a special programme in Porbandar.
- Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N.Chandrababu Naidu declared all 110 cities and towns in the State as ODF at a programme in Tirupati.
- Rs.186 cr has been sanctioned for Andhra Pradesh for focusing on solid waste management in urban areas.
- A Postal Stamp on Swachhat was released by Shri Venkaiah Naidu and Minister of Communications Manoj Sinha in New Delhi.
- 405 cities and towns have so far claimed to have become Open Defecation Free along with 20,000 of the 82,000 urban wards in the country.
- Another 334 cities and towns would become ODF by March next year.
- Maharashtra, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram and other North-Eastern States are on course to declare all urban areas as ODF soon.
- Swachh Bharat would be completed on the occasion of his 150th birth anniversary of GandhiJi on October 2,2019.
Reference:
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=151352
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=151353