CAPART ASSISTED GRAMEEN VIKAS ANDOLAN

COODU has always associated itself with the Govt. in bringing development to the door steps of the people from all walks of life. In keeping with this mission, the organization expressed its interest in creating awareness among the people and to facilitate the people to take pro-active measures in the sectors of water and sanitation and other Rural Development Programmes, in association with the CAPART. Entrusted with this task by the CAPART, the organization mobilized the elected representatives of local bodies, the CBOs, the youth, Govt. field staff, teachers and SHG members in all Panchayats of Sulur Block in Coimbatore district and imparted training on the Rural Development Programmes. The training programme included techniques on harvesting rain water & judicious use of water, the need for sanitation and best hygienic practices, infrastructural facilities and management of community assets. The trainees were constituted into committees at the Panchayat Level and as TOTs, they trained groups of youth and SHG members in the villages. The organization organized massive rallies, flag hoisting, street corner meetings, cultural programmes to create awareness on Rural Development Programmes, with special emphasis on Water and Sanitation. The organization also facilitated the committees to conduct village Padasalas to involve people in Rural Development Programme and to execute infrastructure works efficiently and to monitor its execution in a transparent manner. The organization prepared IEC materials, such as posters, hand bills, banners, photo exhibits, video clippings, etc., to conduct the campaign on a saturation level. The campaign has raised the level of awareness on Rural Development Programmes among the people to such an extent that the Grama Sabhas have become strong enough to manage the PRIs more transparently and efficiently and its meetings have been transformed into enlivened interactive concourses beneficial to the whole society.

Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award Verification Work

Nirmal Gram Puraskar Award is an award given by Central Government to the Total sanitation villages. The villages to be selected for this award should have the following facilities - adequate personal and community toilets, drainage facilities, separate functional toilets for girls and boys in schools and clean and tidy environment without waste water stagnation anywhere.

The main objective of this award is

• To bring the topic of sanitation to the forefront of social and political development discourse in rural India.
• To develop open defecation free and clean villages which will act as models for others to emulate.
• To give incentive to PRIs to sustain the initiatives taken by them to eliminate the practice of open defecation from their respective geographical area by way of full sanitation coverage.
• To increase social mobilization in TSC implementation, by recognizing the catalytic role played by organizations in attaining universal sanitation coverage.Panchayat Raj Institutions which have been the driving force for effecting full sanitation coverage in the respective PRI area, duly recommended and nominated by the State are eligible to be considered for the NGP. Only such institutions that have made outstanding contribution to the cause of sanitation will be considered for the awards.
• The criteria for recommendation and nomination will be as follows:
  PRIs at the Panchayat, Block or District level.

PRIs that have promoted innovations like accessibility to public toilets by differently abled persons, environment friendly garbage disposal, re-use and re-cycling of waste water and garbage, etc., or done exemplary work in special circumstances like disasters, difficult areas etc, may also be nominated by the State . In 2008, COODU was one of the Non Government Organisation selected by the central government from Tamilnadu for the implementation of Nirmal Gram Purashkar scheme. COODU investigated the following districts of Andhrapradesh i.e. West Godhavari, East Godavari, Srikakulam, Krishna and Vijayanagaram. 470 village Panchayats were investigated by the team of 60 members for the period of two months after which COODU submitted its final report to the Central government. The reinvestigating team of Central government also accepted and appreciated the work done by COODU organization. It was one of the great opportunity and privilege of the organization to work with Central Government for social cause. In the year 2011-12, the organization has been tasked with the verification of various parameters in 385 gram panchayats in the state of Maharastra. The project entails house to house survey on drinking water supply and erection of Individual House Hold Latrines (IHHL). Besides household survey the entire area is inspected for cleanliness. Open defecation, if practiced is noted. Public toilets are inspected to ascertain water availability and cleanliness. Safe disposal of waste is monitored. Drainages are inspected for collection of waste water from household and safe disposal of sewerage. As entrusted, the organization carried out intensive verification of 385 gram panchayats in the districts of Nagpur, Nanded, Purbani and Nandurbhar and submitted verification reports to the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.