For many months now, bureaucrats, ministers and ground level workers in Kerala have been working on a war footing. They are on mission to make Kerala Open Defecation Free (ODF) by November 2016.

And in this pursuit to make both urban and rural areas in the state ODF by November 2016, Thrissur in Kerala has become the first district in the state in which all its panchayats have been declared ODF.

All 86 panchayats in the district have been declared ODF as on Monday. A total of 3,002 toilets were constructed across these panchayats.

The campaign headed by minister AC Moideen and Sheela Vijaykumar, a district panchayat president had meticulously ensured that toilets were constructed across all panchayats. According to the campaign, beneficiaries were give Rs 15,000 for constructing toilets.

A tribal community in Thrissur's Athirappilly

While Thrissur district has become ODF, six municipalities and the Corporation are yet to achieve the targets.

The ODF programme is a part of the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) started by the state of Kerala, in tandem with the Prime Minister's Swachh Bharat campaign.

The programme is aiming to make Kannur district also ODF before October 2. Of the 71 panchayats in Kannur district, almost 7,000 toilets have been constructed in 70 panchayats. With just few more to go, Kannur may join Thrissur in that prestigious list anytime soon.