Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) is a national initiative launched on 2nd October, 2014, spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The aim of this mission is to promote cleanliness, sanitation, and proper waste management in urban spaces across the country, with a goal to eradicate open defecation from Indian towns and cities.
Phases of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban
The SBM-U was implemented in two phases. The first phase, also known as SBM-U 1.0, was dedicated to making urban India completely free from open defecation (ODF). To achieve this objective, the program focused heavily on providing access to toilets and instilling behavior change among the populace. It was successful in its endeavor, leading to a declaration that urban India had become 100% ODF.
The second phase, named SBM-U 2.0, announced in Budget 2021-22, is a direct continuation of the previous phase. This phase aims to advance from being merely ODF to achieving ODF+, and ODF++ statuses. It emphasizes sustainable sanitation practices, efficient waste management, and the promotion of a circular economy, with an overarching objective of making urban India entirely garbage-free.
Swachh Bharat Mission’s Accomplishments
Impressively, 12 crore toilets have been built under the campaign in the last nine years, greatly reducing the instances of open defecation. An additional achievement is that 75% of Indian villages have attained Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status. This essentially means that Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are now completely ODF, with 3,547 ULBs being ODF+ and 1,191 ULBs being ODF++. Furthermore, 14 cities have accomplished the Water+ certification, which involves the treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.
Challenges faced by the Swachh Bharat Mission
Despite the program’s success, there have been issues. A notable one is a decline in regular toilet usage, particularly in rural India, since 2018-19. This slump in usage is significantly noticeable among Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), indicating that the program’s benefits have not been equally sustained across all strata of society. There are also concerns about the program’s long-term sustainability, as the decrease in toilet usage makes one question whether the behavior change purported by SBM has indeed been successful.
Even within these challenges, spatial variations are evident. At a national level, the regular use of toilets has increased from 46% to 75% in rural areas from 2015-16 and 2019-21. But wealthier states have shown mixed performance, with smaller gains in toilet usage compared to economically poorer states. This difference in impact reveals the necessity for tailoring strategies to suit different socio-economic contexts.
Decoding Open Defecation Free Status
An area is declared as ODF when at any point of the day, no person is found defecating in the open. An ODF+ status is achieved when, in addition to having no open defecation or urination, all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained. An area is identified as ODF++ when it is already ODF+ and also safely manages and treats faecal sludge/septage and sewage.
The Path Ahead
The mission needs to emphasize behavioral change through targeted and community-specific campaigns that accentuate the importance of regular toilet usage, hygiene, and safe sanitation practices. Communities need to be involved in taking ownership of sanitation facilities and fostering pride in maintaining cleanliness. An equitable distribution of the program’s benefits is necessary, with a special focus on vulnerable and marginalized groups. These communities should be provided with access to sanitation facilities and encouraged to use them regularly through education and awareness campaigns.
Though several challenges persist, there are numerous strategies available to intensify efforts towards safe sanitation practices. If implemented effectively, these could ensure that all of SBM’s initial objectives are met and sustained across India — urban and rural alike.