Knowledge nugget of the day: Swachh Bharat Mission

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Knowledge Nugget: Swachh Bharat Mission

Subject: Government schemes and policies

WHY IN NEWS ?

Three years into the five-year Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban 2.0, big cities are yet to clear any land in half of their legacy landfill sites, with only 38 per cent of the total dumped waste being remediated so far, government data shows. Also, one must keep in mind that the nationwide “Swachhata Hi seva Abhiyan 2024” is being observed from 17th September, 2024 to 02nd October, 2024 on the theme of Swabhav Swachhata – Sanskar Swachhata.  

KEY TAKEAWAYS :

1. Mahatma Gandhi emphasised on swachhta as which ensures healthy life and society. Keeping this in mind, the Indian government launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014.

2. The mission covers all rural and urban areas. The urban component of the mission is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the rural component by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban

3. The programme included:  

(a) elimination of open defecation

(b) conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets

(c) eradication of manual scavenging

(d) municipal solid waste management and 

(e) bringing about a behavioural change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices.

SBM-U 2.0 

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2021 launched the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 along with Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0.

5. It aims to make all cities ‘Garbage Free’. SBM-U 2.0 will ensure grey and black water management in all cities, other than those covered under AMRUT. The mission focusses on source segregation of solid waste. 

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

6. The SBM(G) was launched on 2nd October 2014. It aimed to ensure cleanliness in rural areas through Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities and make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) in Five Years (2014-2019). 

7. Having achieved the milestone of an ODF India, the aim now is overall cleanliness (Sampoorn Swachhata) in villages.  i.e., sustaining the ODF status and managing solid and liquid waste by 2024-25 and transforming all the villages from ODF to ODF Plus Model.

Swachh Bharat Kosh

8. The government in 2014 formally launched the Swachh Bharat Kosh (fund) “to facilitate channelisation of philanthropic contributions and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds” towards this cause.

9. Using the donations, the fund aimed at finance activities such as construction of new toilets as well as repair and renovation of dysfunctional toilets in rural areas, urban areas, elementary, secondary and senior secondary government schools, aanganwaadis. 

10. They were also aimed to be used for constructing water lines to the toilets, training and skill development to maintain hygiene in the toilets as well as other activities to improve sanitation.

Beyond the nugget: Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0

11. It focuses on increasing sewage and septic management, making cities ‘water-secure’, and ensuring that no sewage drains in rivers.

12. AMRUT 2.0, according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office in 2021 aims to provide 100 per cent coverage of water supply to all households in around 4,700 urban local bodies by providing about 2.68 crore tap connections. “The Mission will promote data led governance in water management and Technology Sub-Mission to leverage latest global technologies and skills,” the statement read.

(source: swachhbharatmission.ddws.gov.in)

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