Swachh Bharat Mission

Introduction 

The Swachh Bharat Mission is a major initiative started by the Indian government in 2014 to attain the objective of a clean India. On October 2, 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the campaign was unveiled. By providing sanitary facilities and effective waste management, the goal seeks to transform India into a clean and hygienic nation.

The Swachh Bharat Mission is the largest campaign to promote cleanliness in Indian history. People from all walks of life are participating in the countrywide movement to make India cleaner and greener. The effort has won approval among a wide audience and had been successful in altering the nation's sanitation and hygiene standards significantly.

Background 

India has been struggling with sanitation issues for decades. Lack of access to clean water, shy sewage systems, and indecorous waste operation have been the major causes of poor sanitation in the country. The situation was so severe that in 2012, the World Health Organization( WHO) reported that India accounted for 60 of the world's open defecation cases. Open defecation leads to the spread of conditions like cholera, diarrhea, and typhoid, which have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Indians every time. 

To address the sanitation extremity in the country, the Indian government launched the SBM in 2014. The charge aimed to give acceptable sanitation installations to all citizens, promote cleanliness, and end open defecation in the country. The charge has been one of the biggest campaigns accepted by the government, involving millions of people across the country.

Objects of Swachh Bharat Mission 

The Swachh Bharat Mission has two main objects to produce a clean and healthy India and to promote the use of toilets. The charge aims to achieve these objects by providing access to sanitation installations and promoting the adoption of healthy hygiene practices. 

The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to achieve the following pretensions 

Elimination of open defecation: The charge aims to give every household with a restroom installation to ensure that open defecation becomes a thing of the history. 

Clean streets and public spaces: The charge aims to clean the thoroughfares and public spaces to produce a healthy and hygienic environment for people to live in. 

Proper waste management: The charge aims to insure proper waste operation, including the isolation of waste, recycling, and disposal of waste in a scientific manner. 

Awareness and behavioral change: The charge aims to produce mindfulness among people about the significance of cleanliness and hygiene and promote behavioral change towards a cleaner India.

Implementation

A $26 billion (roughly) budget for the Swachh Bharat Mission was announced at the time of its commencement. The objective was to construct latrines, manage solid waste, and communicate behaviour change. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (SBA) for urban areas and the Swachh Bharat Gramin (SBG) for rural regions are the two sub-missions of the SBM. The mission's execution was broken up into many stages.

Phase 1: The mission's first phase was devoted to building solitary household toilets, communal toilets, and public restrooms. By October 2019, the initiative aims to construct 100 million restrooms. To help people and organisations build toilets, the government gave them financial support. Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G), an online portal, was used to track the installation of restrooms. Additionally, the government established the Swachh Bharat Kosh (SBK) to raise money for the purpose from a variety of sources.

Phase 2: The management of solid waste was the main goal of the mission's second phase. The purpose was to encourage the collection, transportation, and processing of trash as well as waste segregation at the source. Additionally, the government planned to build waste-to-energy facilities all around the nation. To encourage solid waste management, the government created the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) for urban areas.

Phase 3: Behaviour modification communication was the mission's main concern during this stage. The government started initiatives to encourage residents to practise good hygiene and cleanliness. To emphasise the need of sanitation, the government also focused on schools and other educational institutions.

Swachh Bharat Mission's effects

The sanitation and hygiene standards in India have significantly improved since the Swachh Bharat Mission was established. The following results have been attained by the mission successfully:

• Toilet construction: As a result of the goal, millions of toilets have been built nationwide. Since the campaign's inception, more than 10 crore toilets have been constructed in India, according to the Swachh Bharat Mission website.

• Open defecation-free (ODF) status: The mission has assisted in various states and districts achieve ODF status. In April 2023, 28 states, union territories, and 714 districts in India were designated as ODF, according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

• Better waste management: The objective has inspired the adoption of ethical waste management procedures in a number of cities and municipalities. Waste-to-energy facilities that turn trash into power have also been developed as a result of the Swachh Bharat Mission.

• Increased awareness: More individuals are aware of the value of cleanliness and hygiene because to the mission's effectiveness in raising awareness of this issue. More people are embracing good hygiene habits because to the mission's behavioural transformation.

Swachh Bharat Mission difficulties

Since its beginning, the Swachh Bharat Mission has had to overcome a number of obstacles. Among the biggest obstacles are:

• Lack of toilet utilisation: Despite the fact that millions of toilets have been constructed around the nation, many areas still have a low level of toilet usage. The major cause of this is cultural and traditional customs that forbid using restrooms.

• Lack of appropriate waste management infrastructure: Despite advancements in waste management practises brought about by the mission, many locations still lack adequate waste management infrastructure.

• Lack of knowledge: Despite the mission's success in raising public awareness, there are still numerous locations where people are unaware of the significance of cleanliness and hygiene.

• finance: In order to accomplish its goals, the mission needs a sizable amount of finance. However, there have been financing concerns and the mission has already dealt with budgetary restrictions, which have held down development.

• Limited involvement: Despite the mission's goal of including individuals from all walks of life, there are still barriers to involvement especially for some social categories, such as the underprivileged and those living in rural regions.

Strategies to Overcome Challenges 

The government has enforced several strategies to overcome the challenges faced by the Swachh Bharat Mission. Some of the strategies include 

Behavioural change

The government has launched several campaigns to produce mindfulness about the significance of cleanliness and hygiene. These campaigns aim to change people's behaviour towards cleanliness and promote the use of toilets. 

Funding

The government has increased funding for the charge, which has helped in achieving its objects. The government has also encouraged private sector participation in the charge, which has helped in adding the resources available for the charge. 

Technology adoption

The government has espoused technology to ameliorate waste operation practices. The charge has led to the development of waste- to- energy plants and the implementation of GPS- enabled waste collection exchanges. 

Inclusivity

The government has enforced programs to insure inclusivity and participation of all parts of society. For this case, the government has launched the Swachhagrahis programme to involve original communities in charge. 

International cooperation

The government has sought international cooperation to achieve the charge's objects. For instance, the government has partnered with the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme( UNDP) to apply for the charge.

Conclusion

An important programme that seeks to make India clean and healthy is the Swachh Bharat Mission. Since the mission's inception, tremendous progress had been achieved, however there are still obstacles to be cleared. The government is putting in place a number of methods to address such problems, as well as ongoing work and support across all facets of society, the mission could succeed in its goals and build a cleaner, greener India.