The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Swachh Bharat Mission or Clean India Mission is the largest sanitation programme ever conceived and executed by the Government in India. It was launched by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, on October 2, 2014 at Raj Ghat, New Delhi. This sanitation mission aims to achieve ‘Swachh Bharat‘ or ‘Clean India’ by October 2, 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
Background:
Sanitation programmes in India are being implemented since 1954. The Rural Sanitation Programme was introduced in the year 1954 as a part of the first Five Year Plan. But till 1981, rural sanitation coverage was just 1%. To celebrate the International Decade for Drinking water and Sanitation during 1981-90, emphasis was given on rural sanitation. Then in 1986, Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) was launched with the goals of improve the quality of life in rural areas and to provide privacy and dignity to women. In 1999, Total Sanitation Campaign was launched, which helped in increase the coverage of household toilets in rural areas from 1% in 1981 to 22% in 2001.
Subsequently, the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was launched in 2012 with a goal to accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to create Nirmal Gram Panchayats and achieve ‘Nirmal’ Bharat by 2022. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan involved Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) to the incentives for the construction of individual household latrines, which later led to delays in implementation. In 2014, Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan was restructured into Swachh Bharat Mission or Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with a goal to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage. The mission has been divided into two sub-missions: Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Swachh Bharat Mission is a joint Mission of the Ministry of Urban Development (for Urban sub-mission) and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (for Gramin sub-mission).
Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)
The sub-mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) aims to provide sanitation and household toilet facilities for all 4041 statutory towns in India. It will be implemented by the Ministry of Urban Development. Those 4041 towns support 31% of the Country’s population or about 377 million people.
Objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban):
- Eliminate open defecation.
- Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets
- Eradication of manual scavenging.
- 100% collection and processing, disposal, reuse and recycle of municipal solid waste.
- To bring about a behavioral change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices.
- Generate awareness among the citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health.
- Strengthening of urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems.
- Create enabling environment for private sector participation in Capital expenditure and Operation and Maintenance expenditure
Components of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban):
- The Mission has the following components
- Provision of household toilets.
- Community toilets.
- Public toilets.
- Solid Waste Management.
- Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and Public Awareness.
- Capacity Building and Administrative & Office Expenses (A&OE).
Mission Outlay
Estimated cost of implementation of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) is Rs. 62,009 crore. The central Government will share Rs. 14,623 crore, while states will contribute 25% of the project cost (Rs 4874 crore).
Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)
The sub-mission, Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) aims at improving the levels of cleanliness in rural areas through Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities and making Gram Panchayats clean, sanitized and Open Defecation Free (ODF). It will be implemented by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. District is the base unit and the sanitation campaign is lead by the District Collectors, Magistrates or CEOs of Zilla Panchayats.
Objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) :
- Improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas, by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation.
- Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Swachh Bharat by October 2, 2019.
- Motivate Communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions to adopt sustainable sanitation practices through awareness creation and health education.
- Encourage cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.
- Develop where required, Community managed sanitation systems focusing on scientific Solid & Liquid Waste Management systems for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.
Components of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)
- Start-Up Activities
- Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Activities
- Capacity Building
- Construction of Individual Household Latrines
- Availability of Sanitation Material through Rural Sanitary Marts, Production Centers, Self Help Groups
- Provision of Revolving Fund in the District
- Micro Financing of Construction of Toilets
- Community Sanitary Complex
- Equity and inclusion
- Solid and Liquid Waste Management
- Administrative Charges
Mission Outlay:
The estimated cost of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) is Rs. 1.34 lakh crore.