The Kalaburagi City Corporation has set itself an ambitious target to convert Kalaburagi as open-defecation free (ODF) city and to climb up the national ranking.

City Commissioner Snehal Lokhande, speaking to Rashtra News, said that the city corporation has obtained the ODF+ certification in 2021. “Now we are focusing on getting ODF++ certifications from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs”.

He said that Kalaburagi city has fulfilled almost all the parameters for improving the ranking and has submitted details of the measures initiated by the corporation to make the city open-defecation free by constructing community toilets in almost all the localities, continuous monitoring and maintenance of these toilets, and napkin incinerators have been installed in the exclusive ladies toilets.

Collection and disposal of the garbage is also one of the parameters fixed by the Union Government for improving the ranking. “We have applied for a five-star ranking in the ODF and the highest ranking is seven star,” the officer said.

The city corporation has also initiated steps to take up the rainwater harvesting structures in more than 100 gardens in the city initially, which would help in the percolation of water from these harvesting structures and recharge the groundwater resources for higher yield of water in the borewells in the vicinity.

The city corporation has also initiated to construct the rainwater harvesting structures in all the government schools and government buildings, Mr. Lokhande added.

Mr. Lokhande said that the Sharanabasaveshwar lake in the heart of the city has already been cleaned up and the water hyacinth which had occupied around 20% of the lake has been removed and the lake provides a cleaner look. The bund of the lake is being beautified and fortified now.

The corporation has identified 60 open wells in the city and initiated measures to revive them. These open wells are recharge structures to help enhance groundwater and to address water scarcity.