A team of delegates from UNICEF and countries like Indonesia, Afghanistan, Zambia, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe visited Belapu village here on Tuesday. The village is the recipient of the ‘Nirmal Gram Puraskar’ under Total Sanitation Campaign.

The Gram Panchayat led by President Devi Prasad Shetty had organised a function to welcome the delegates and to make them aware of the various developmental projects and welfare programmes taken up by the Belapu Gram Panchayat.

Belapu, situated 23 km away from Udupi, is a village where agriculture is the main occupation and paddy is the main crop. Several programmes have been implemented in this village under the Suvarna Gramodaya plan such as development of roads, drainage system, disposal of the waste, toddler centre, community hall, street lights.

Many more village developmental programmes are being implemented under Government’s different plans.

The Gram Panchayath and its members play a major role in making this village a model village. Awareness has been created among the public regarding the importance of health and hygiene in every step of their lives.

The Total Sanitary Campaign (TSC) was inaugurated in this village on October 2, 2005. Eradication of open defecation was the greatest success achieved by the Self Help Groups (SHGs) in this village.