Bankura, 15 July (H.S.): The reality behind the much-publicized “Nirmal Gram” (clean village) status of West Bengal’s Durlabhpur village in Bankura district has come under intense scrutiny following a diarrhea outbreak affecting over 50 people. The outbreak has exposed the grim state of public health infrastructure, with more than 70% of households lacking basic toilet facilities, according to health department officials.

Located in Gangajalghati block, Durlabhpur was officially declared a “Nirmal Gram,” a tag meant to indicate that all homes have toilets and access to clean water. But the villagers rely on a polluted pond for their daily needs.

Diarrhea broke out in Loha Para, a locality mostly inhabited by landless agricultural laborers. As the number of patients surged over 50, the health department dispatched a medical team to the area. Senior officials including the Block Medical Officer and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shyamal Soren visited the site and were reportedly shocked by the situation.

Dr. Soren confirmed the dire conditions saying, “There are 962 households here, and 70% of them do not have toilets. People use water from a pond where filthy drainage water flows in. That same water is being used for washing dishes and even for drinking. We have alerted the residents, but the situation is concerning.”

This revelation raises questions about the credibility of the Nirmal status granted to the village and the district. The government had earlier awarded Bankura for achieving full sanitation under the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission, and Durlabhpur was included on the list of model villages.

The Gangajalghati Panchayat Samiti acknowledged the shortcomings, stating that many poor families lack adequate space to construct toilets, and that the Nirmal status was granted based on the availability of community toilets rather than individual ones.

On the issue of clean drinking water, local officials claimed that work is underway under the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide piped water to the village.

Opposition parties have lashed out at the state government, calling the situation a “mockery” of the Swachh Bharat campaign. They questioned how, despite crores of rupees being spent on water and sanitation projects, villagers are still forced to use filthy pond water for their daily needs.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey