10 YEARS OF SWACHH BHARAT MISSION

Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy: https://www.indiatvnews.com/news/india-gandhiji-s-glasses-unique-logo-of-swachh-bharat-mission-epitomise-core-human-rights-principles-centre-to-unsr-411266

Context:

The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched by the Prime Minister on October 2, 2014, with the aim to make India cleaner and healthier by ending open defecation and improving waste management.

About the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)

The mission was divided into two parts: SBM-Gramin (for villages) and SBM-Urban (for cities). It focused on building toilets, managing waste, and changing people’s behavior towards cleanliness.

Key Objectives

1. Open Defecation-Free (ODF) India: The main goal was to stop open defecation by constructing millions of toilets in both rural and urban areas. This means that in ODF areas, no one defecates in the open at any time of the day.
2. Toilets in Schools and Anganwadis: To equip all households with individual toilets and ensure schools and anganwadi centers had proper sanitation facilities.
3. Solid and Liquid Waste Management: Managing waste, including kitchen waste, plastics, and wastewater.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 

After the success of the first phase of SBM, the government launched SBM 2.0 in 2021. This new phase focuses more on managing garbage, plastic waste, and wastewater in cities. The government has also planned to clear 2,400 old landfills in cities by 2025. So far, about 30% of the landfill area has been cleared, and 41% of waste remediation has been achieved.

Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin

1. The Swachh Bharat Mission - Gramin (SBM-G) is implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. 
2. The first phase (2014 to 2019) was about making sure people had access to toilets and preventing open defecation. It was a big success, with over 100 million toilets built across rural India. This improved public health and reduced diseases caused by poor sanitation, like diarrhoea.
3. In Phase II (2019-2025), the goal is to maintain the progress and manage waste better. By September 2024, more than 5.87 lakh villages became ODF Plus, meaning they don’t just have toilets but also have better waste management systems. This phase focuses on making sure toilets are used and kept clean, while also dealing with solid and liquid waste in a smart way.

Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban

In cities, the mission is managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The goal is to stop open defecation and manage waste. As of September 2024, over 63 lakh household toilets and 6.3 lakh public toilets have been built in urban areas. This is helping cities become cleaner and healthier for everyone.

Significance of the Mission 

1. According to a 2018 World Health Organization (WHO) report, the SBM helped prevent 3 lakh deaths from diseases like diarrhoea and malnutrition between 2014 and 2019.  
2. According to Nature, a famous science magazine, the mission saves 60,000-70,000 infant lives every year. Better access to toilets means fewer people are exposed to harmful germs, reducing the risk of diseases like diarrhoea. This has especially helped children, as clean environments are key to their health and growth.
3. SBM has restored dignity for many people, especially women. Earlier, many had no access to private toilets and had to go outside, often feeling unsafe. By building toilets in homes and schools, SBM has allowed women and girls to feel safer and more respected.
4. Economically, SBM has helped too. Clean environments mean fewer health problems. When people get sick less, they can work more. The World Bank estimates that poor sanitation cost India nearly $54 billion in lost productivity in 2010. With SBM, those losses have declined significantly.

Challenges

1. Even though the mission has made huge progress, there are still challenges to make improvements. In some places, water scarcity makes it hard to keep toilets clean. 
2. In some areas, people still prefer open defecation because it’s a traditional practice. 
3. There is also a need to improve waste treatment, especially in ODF Plus villages. 
4. The mission needs to pay more attention to the welfare of sanitation workers, who often work in tough conditions.

Way Forward

The government needs to build more waste management systems in villages and cities by using new technology, like low-cost waste treatment plants. Connecting SBM with other programs, like the Jal Jeevan Mission, will make sure there’s enough water to keep toilets clean. It is important to keep working on changing people’s behavior and making sure sanitation workers are treated fairly and provided appropriate safety equipment.

Must Read Articles: 

10 YEARS OF SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (SBM)

Source: 

Indian Express

PIB