Koppal Village's ODF Status Crumbles as Women Face Humiliation
Eight years after celebrating its open defecation-free status, Chikkajantakal village in Koppal district now presents a grim picture. Women residents, especially from Ambedkar Nagar, find themselves with no choice but to defecate in the open once again. The absence of working toilets has forced them into a desperate situation.
Makeshift Solutions on a Concrete Road
With no household toilets and broken community facilities, women have turned a cement concrete road into an open defecation site. They tie saris along both sides of the road to create temporary enclosures for privacy. This practice highlights the severe lack of basic sanitation infrastructure.
Dalit women in the area have been demanding public toilets for several years. Their appeals seem to have fallen on deaf ears. More than fifty families living in the second, third, and fourth wards lack individual toilets. Two public toilets built nearly twenty years ago collapsed long ago and were never reconstructed.
Failed Schemes and Official Inaction
The Swachh Bharat Mission offers a fifty percent subsidy for household toilets. However, residents allege the scheme bypassed Dalit colonies. Authorities cited lack of space as the reason for non-implementation.
The issue reached district minister Shivaraj Tangadagi. Yet, residents claim no action followed. Ironically, panchayat records show public toilets exist in Ambedkar Nagar. Seventy thousand rupees were allocated for their maintenance. On the ground, no functional toilets are visible.
Protest Through Desperation
Frustrated by years of neglect, women have stopped submitting petitions. As a form of protest, they now use the road leading to the gram panchayat office for open defecation. This act underscores their desperation and the failure of local governance.
"We have no other choice. Since there is no community toilet, we are forced to use the road and tie saris for cover," said Channamallamma, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar.
Official Promises Versus Ground Reality
Panchayat development officer Ravindra Prabhat acknowledged the space constraint for individual toilets. He mentioned a proposal submitted to the Kalyana Karnataka Regional Development Board for constructing high-tech toilets. Prabhat also assured temporary arrangements using maintenance grants.
Residents report no concrete steps have materialized so far. Women continue relying on makeshift sari-covered spaces. This situation reveals a stark gap between official claims and the harsh reality villagers face daily.
