Thiruvananthapuram will be declared free of open defecation

At long last, the State capital is ready for Nirmal status, by which it will join the list of districts that have been declared free of open defecation, a major challenge to State efforts to combat contagious diseases. The work to get rid of a practice, which pointed accusing fingers at even the popular concept that the State was much ahead of others when it came to public hygiene, had begun more than a year ago with efforts to ensure latrines for all families and adequate numbers of public latrines.