New Delhi: The Jal Shakti Ministry said on Thursday that a total of 5,47,283 villages across the country have been declared open defecation free or ODF Plus. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna said 30,225 villages in Bihar have been declared ODF Plus.

Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have also made notable achievements with 49,742 and 93,872 ODF Plus villages respectively. The ODF Plus classification is based on the sustainability of the ODF status and the presence of solid and liquid waste management systems.

Action after committee report on those responsible for tunnel collapse

The government told Parliament that action against the guilty contractors and officials responsible for the Silkayara tunnel collapse will be taken based on the recommendations of the committee of experts. A total of 41 workers were trapped after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12, 2023. The workers were rescued on November 28, 2023.In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that notices have been issued to the contractor and consultant overseeing the construction of the Silkayara-Barkot tunnel by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited.

Final action will be taken against the guilty contractors/company and officials responsible for the collapse based on the final recommendations of the experts' committee. The government has constituted an experts' committee to investigate the causes of the collapse of Silkyara tunnel on NH-134 in Uttarakhand.