In recent news, over 100,000 villages have declared themselves as Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G). These villages are maintaining their ODF status and have set systems for managing solid and/or liquid waste in place. The villages aim to continually progress on their sanitation journey to make their villages cleaner, greener, and healthier.
A Closer Look at Open Defecation Free Status
An area can be declared ODF if at no point is a person found defecating in the open during the day. There are different levels of this status: ODF+ and ODF++. ODF+ is given when no person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open during the day, and all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained. ODF++ is achieved if an area is already ODF+ and safely manages and treats faecal sludge/septage and sewage, with no untreated faecal sludge and sewage discharging or dumping into the open drains, water bodies, or areas.
Understanding Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G)
The Ministry of Jal Shakti launched the SBM-G in 2014 to accelerate universal sanitation coverage efforts and emphasize sanitation. The mission was implemented nationwide as a campaign – Janandolan, which aims to eliminate open defecation in rural areas. Since its launch, more than 10 crore individual toilets have been constructed. As a result, all the States’ rural areas declared themselves ODF as of October 2, 2019.
SBM(G) Phase-I and Phase-II and Their Significance
At the time of SBM (G) launch on 2nd October 2014, rural sanitation coverage in India was reported as 38.7%. The mission has since gone through two phases. Phase-II emphasizes the sustainability of achievements under phase I and aims to provide adequate facilities for Solid/Liquid & Plastic Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India. It will be implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rs. 1,40,881 crores. By constructing household toilets, community toilets, compost pits, soak pits, waste stabilisation ponds and material recovery facilities, the mission will continue to generate employment and provide impetus to the rural economy.
Top Performing States and Schemes
The top performing states under the Swachh Bharat Mission are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh with the maximum number of villages declared as ODF Plus. Some of the important schemes under SBM are the GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) Scheme and the Individual Household Latrines (IHHL). There’s also the Swachh Vidyalaya Programme launched by the Ministry of Education to provide separate toilets for boys and girls in all government schools within one year.
About SBM-Urban and Its Phases
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched SBM-Urban on 2nd October 2014. The first phase of the program targeted the elimination of open defecation, conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour flush toilets, eradication of manual scavenging and solid waste management. After the first phase, 4,324 urban local bodies were declared Open Defecation Free due to the construction of more than 66 lakhs individual household toilets and over 6 lakhs community/public toilets, far exceeding the Mission’s targets. Digital enablements such as the Swachhata App has reinvented citizen grievance redressal management.
SBM Urban Phase-II and Its Objectives
Announced in Budget 2021-22, SBM-U 2.0 is the second phase of SBM-Urban. The government aims to safely contain, transport, dispose of faecal sludge, and septage from toilets over five years from 2021 to 2026 with an outlay of Rs.1.41 lakh crore. Under this mission, all wastewater will be treated properly before it is discharged into water bodies, with a priority given to maximum reuse.
Facing the Future Challenges
With the increase in portable water supply, more greywater is generated that needs to be treated and reused. Furthermore, lifestyle changes and the use of packaged food products are causing plastic waste to become an increasing problem in rural areas. Effective management of these issues is crucial for further progress in our sanitation efforts.
Last Modified: February 18, 2024