Mangaluru (The Hindu): It is the third city in the State to get this tag. Mangaluru city has officially been declared as an open defecation-free city.

The Quality Council of India (QCI), an autonomous body promoting quality movement, handed over a certificate to this effect to Mayor Harinath at the Mangaluru City Corporation on Wednesday.

Mangaluru is the third city in the State after Udupi and Mysuru to get this tag. The certificate, issued on behalf of the Union Ministry of Urban Development, is valid for six months from September 24. Referring to the validity of the certificate, Abhinav Yadav, Project Manager, QCI, said, “It is to ensure that the city maintains the standards of cleanliness ... else the certificate will become invalid. It keeps pressure on the civic body to sustain the cleanliness.”

If the tag of open defecation-free city is to be continued, the certificate will have to be renewed after inspections at regular intervals. QCI would remind the civic body about the expiry of the certificate and if it wishes to renew it, inspections would be conducted. Mr. Yadav said that urban local bodies will have to voluntarily approach either QCI or the Ministry to evaluate them for open defecation. There is no ranking system, he added.

Mangaluru has been declared a open defecation-free city in the category of cities having a population between five lakh and 10 lakh. Udupi and Mysuru have been declared open defecation-free cities in the category of cities having a population between one lakh and five lakh and above 10 lakh, respectively. He said that the selection of the cities was based on physical verification of railway stations, bus stands, markets, slums and other random basis and verification of documents and declarations (that there is no open defecation) submitted to the government.

Mohammed Nazir, Commissioner, said that QCI verified the declarations of 287 schools, 67,000 students, 280 self help groups and all councillors in the city before making the announcement.

Mayor Harinath said that the former MLC, late Blasius M. D’Souza, was instrumental in ending night soil system in the city.

Kavita Sanil, chairperson, Standing Committee for Public Health, Education and Social Justice, said that the corporation has invited bids to build 34 public toilets in the city.

Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP and Ivan D’Souza, MLC, also spoke on the occasion.