SWACHH
BHARAT MISSION GRAMIN – POLITY
News:
Despite early gains of
Swachh Bharat Mission, toilet use declining since 2018-19: World Bank paper
What's
in the news?
●
A departmental working paper by the World
Bank on the progress of the Swacch Bharat Mission - Gramin (SBM-G) has now
found that despite “breathtaking” gains made by the programme to bring toilet
access to rural India since 2014-15, when it began, there has been a clear
trend of regular toilet use declining in rural India from 2018-19 onwards, with
the largest drop being seen among Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe
socio-economic groups.
Key
takeaways:
●
These findings come amid concerns over the
government’s claims that practices such as open defecation and manual scavenging
no longer continue in India.
Swachh
Bharat Mission Gramin:
●
It is a sub-mission of the Swachh Bharat
Mission launched in 2014 to
accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put
focus on sanitation.
●
The mission is implemented as a nationwide
campaign (Jan Andolan) with an aim
at eliminating open defecation in rural areas.
Nodal
Ministry
- Ministry
of Jal Shakti
Objectives:
●
Bring improvement in the general quality
of life by promoting cleanliness, hygiene by eliminating open defecation.
●
Accelerate sanitation coverage in rural
areas to achieve the vision of Swachh Bharat.
●
Motivate communities and Panchayati Raj
Institutions (PRIS) to adopt sustainable sanitation practices and facilities
through awareness creation and health education.
●
Encourage cost effective technology.
●
Develop community managed sanitation
systems focusing on scientific solid
waste management (SWM).
●
Create significant positive impact on
gender and social inclusion by improving sanitation in marginalised
communities.
SBM
(G) Phase-I (2014 to 2019):
●
During the launch of SBM (G) in 2014, the
rural sanitation coverage in the country was merely 38.7%.
Achievement:
●
Since the launch of SBM, more than 10
crore individual toilets were constructed and as a result, rural areas in all
states were self-declared having achieved ODF status as on 2 October 2019.
SBM
(G) Phase-II (2020 to 2025):
●
It is implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25
in a mission mode.
●
Its prime focus is on sustaining the gains
made under the phase 1 of SBM(G) in terms of toilet access and usage, ensuring
that no one is left behind.
●
It also seeks to provide adequate
facilities for Solid/Liquid & plastic
Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India.
●
It will focus on Open Defecation Free Plus
(ODF Plus), which includes ODF sustainability and Solid and Liquid Waste
Management (SLWM).
Key
areas:
The SLWM component of ODF
Plus is monitored on the basis of output-outcome indicators for four key areas such as
●
Plastic waste management
●
Faecal sludge management
●
Greywater (Household Wastewater)
management
●
Biodegradable solid waste management
(including animal waste management).
Top
Performing States:
●
The top five performing states under ODF
(G) are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha,
Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh where a maximum number of villages have
been declared ODF Plus.
Go
back to basics:
ODF
Status:
●
An area is declared as Open Defecation
Free (ODF) if not even a single person is found defecating in the open at any
point of the day.
ODF+
Status:
●
It is given to an area if not a single
person is found defecating and urinating in the open at any point of the day
and all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained.
ODF++
Status:
●
It is given to an area if it is already
ODF+ and it safely manages and treats the faecal sludge/septage and sewage with
no discharging or dumping of untreated waste into the open drains, water bodies
or areas.
Model
Villages:
●
Villages that serve as examples of
excellence in achieving ODF Plus status and implementing best practices in
sanitation and hygiene.