Swachh Bharat Mission: Step Towards Healthy India

• Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on 2 October 2014 to eradicate open defecation and its disadvantages.
• The first phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission lasted till October 2019. Its second phase started in February 2020 and is in progress.
• The Swachh Bharat Mission relies on individual and community participation and awareness to change the age-old mentality of open defecation.
• Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, 12 crores of toilets have been built, 100% of the urban population has been declared ODF and a significant reduction in deaths due to waterborne diseases has been reported.

The Swachh Bharat Mission, launched by the Government of India on 2nd October 2014, is a significant step in addressing India's long-standing issue of open defecation. This mission has brought about a transformative change in the Indian sanitation landscape by building toilets, spreading awareness about proper sanitation, and adopting sustainable waste management techniques.Sanitation refers to providing facilities and services for safely disposing of human urine and faeces. Holistically, it also encompasses promoting community hygiene and disease prevention by maintaining proper sewage systems and collecting and disposing of trash and garbage according to standards. In this article, we will explore the key aspects of the Swachh Bharat Mission, India’s sanitation history, the impact of proper sanitation on society, the implementation and impact of the Swachh Bharat Mission, and future challenges.

Swachh Bharat Mission, also called Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, aimed to change age-old societal attitudes toward sanitation and hygiene in India, a country ill-known for open defecation and poor waste management. The campaign succeeded in creating a mass movement that emphasised cleanliness as a collective responsibility in two phases.Phase 1 of the Swachh Bharat Mission ran for five years, from October 2014 to October 2019. The mission was considered a grand success, with the construction of over 100 million individual household toilets and the declaration of more than 6 lakh villages open defecation-free (ODF). Building on the strong foundation of Phase 1, the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in February 2020 and will run until 2026. The second phase of the mission focuses on sustainable waste management along with maintaining the ODF.However, changing the mindset of its citizens was not easy. The Government of India leveraged various forms of media, involved celebrities and influencers to attract their attention, and provided monetary assistance for toilet construction. The Swachh Bharat Mission, or the SBM mission, raised unprecedented awareness about the importance of sanitation, which its predecessors could not achieve. Let us take a look at India’s attempts to achieve a hygienic and safe country before the Swachh Bharat Mission.

India’s first cleanliness programme for the rural population began in 1954 as a part of its first five-year plan. Despite the efforts, the sanitation coverage in rural India in the 1981 census was only 1%. Therefore, more emphasis was laid on rural sanitation during the International Decade dedicated to Drinking Water and Sanitation from 1981 to 1990. Consequently, the Government of India launched the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) in 1986. The programme aimed to improve the rural population’s quality of life and respect women’s privacy.In 1999, a demand-based approach was adopted as CRSP migrated to Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). The focus of this programme was to generate awareness of the demand for sanitation facilities. To achieve this, tools like Education and Communication (IEC), Human Resource Development (HRD), and capacity building were employed extensively.In 2012, the 'Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan' was launched to accelerate sanitation adoption. Using innovative strategies and a saturation approach, Nirmal Gram Panchayats were set up. The incentives given under MNREGA were increased for building toilets in every household. Despite all the efforts, the 2011 consensus evaluated only 33% of rural sanitation coverage, highlighting the long journey and the pressing need for the Swachh Bharat Mission.Interested in learning more about the Indian government schemes for your benefit? Click here!

Proper sanitation has direct benefits for public health. Efficient sanitation reduces waterborne and foodborne diseases and other sanitation-related health issues by promoting the use of toilets and better waste management practices.According to a 2024 World Health Organisation (WHO) report, 1.4 million people die each year globally from inadequate drinking water, hygiene, and sanitation. Diarrhoea, a common waterborne disease, kills over half a million children each year, roughly 120,000 of them in India.The construction of millions of toilets and the promotion of hygienic practices under the Swachh Bharat Mission have contributed to a significant reduction in diseases such as diarrhoea, cholera, and other gastrointestinal ailments. Also Read: PMAY List 2024 - Check Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana List (Gramin & Urban)

Swachh Bharat Mission was launched with the following objectives:

• To promote hygiene and cleanliness comprehensively throughout India.
• To reduce the number of people and households who defecate in the open to zero.
• To encourage the use of cost-effective and environmentally friendly sanitation solutions.
• To raise public awareness about hygiene concerns and its impact on human health.
• To assist India in achieving the aim of sustainable development.
• To create a positive impact on social inclusion and gender equality
• To raise the standard of living in rural communities.
• To concentrate on sustainable waste management strategies to reduce the volumes of both solid and liquid waste.

The Swachh Bharat Mission can be divided into two components: Swachh Bharat Mission- Gramin (SBM-G) and Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U).

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin)

Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation administers the SBM-G. Phase 1 of this initiative started in 2014 to ensure hygienic living conditions and eliminate open defecation in India in five years. Its mission was to improve rural sanitation by adopting solid and liquid waste management operations and ensuring that villages are 100% open defecation-free (ODF).The SBM-G model serves as a testament to India's dedication to improving public health and hygiene. It is a beacon of community-driven change, integrating the efforts of multiple ministries and millions of citizens. The transformation from basic sanitation to a holistic approach towards sustainable sanitation practices marks a milestone in India's public health strategy.Building on these achievements, Phase II of SBM-G was launched in 2020. It aims to sustain the ODF status, cover more rural communities under the programme, and introduce comprehensive solid and liquid waste management across rural India to achieve 'Sampoorn Swachhata.’

Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban)

SBM-U is administered by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The first phase of SBM-U focused on achieving the target of making urban India ODF by providing access to toilets and promoting behavioural change. SBM-U 1.0 was a successful campaign, and 100% of urban India declared ODF in 2019.SBM-U 2.0, announced in Budget 2021-22, continues SBM-U 1.0. Its objective is to go beyond ODF to ODF+ and ODF++ and focus on making urban India garbage-free. It emphasises sustainable sanitation practices, waste management, and the promotion of a circular economy.

SBM Terminology

ODF: An area can be notified or declared ODF if no a single person is found defecating in the open at any point during the day. ODF+: This status is given if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well-maintained.ODF++: This status is given if the area is already ODF+ and the faecal sludge/septage and sewage are safely managed and treated, with no discharge or dumping of untreated faecal sludge and sewage into the open drains, water bodies, or areas.To achieve its objectives, efforts are being made to convert pit-based washrooms into sanitary latrines and stop constructing new unsanitary and unclean bathrooms. To promote hygiene, SBM-U 2.0 aims to construct community toilets in residential areas where making individual household toilets is challenging. Public restrooms, called aspirational toilets, will also be built in tourist spots, markets, bus stations, and railway stations. The urban mission also aims to eradicate manual scavenging. Also Read: Know the Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojna

Since the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission rely on the participation of millions of Indians, the Government of India prepared an action plan riding on these six pillars:

Community participation:

SBM relies on the complete participation of the beneficiary, whether an individual or community, in setting up the toilets to promote ownership and sustained use.

Flexibility in choice:

SBM offers flexibility by providing multiple options so that poor and disadvantaged families can upgrade their toilets according to their requirements and financial situation. This is done to ensure that constructed sanitary toilets ensure the safe confinement and disposal of faeces. An illustrative list of technology options, with corresponding costs, is available to meet user preferences and location-specific requirements.

Capacity building:

The Swachh Bharat Mission helps districts build the ability to change behaviour at the community level and improves the skills of agencies responsible for implementing the programme, ensuring it progresses on time and its results can be tracked.

Cultivating behavioural change:

SBM incentivises the performance of State-level institutions to implement activities for behavioural change among communities. The programme emphasises generating awareness, triggering mindset and community behaviour changes, generating demand for sanitary facilities in houses, schools, Anganwadis, and community clubs, and adopting good solid and liquid waste management practices.

Broad-based engagement:

Once the groundwork was laid, SBM set up the Swachh Bharat Kosh to encourage Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and accept contributions from private organisations, individuals, and philanthropists to bring about a change at the mass level.

Use of technology:

Once the infrastructure has been created, SBM uses the power of information technology and social media. Information technology is imperative to this programme as it allows citizens to check on the availability of toilets for every rural household in India. Nearly 90% of all SBM toilets have already been geo-tagged.The use of social media not only helped create awareness for the SBM but also helped bring the attention of concerned authorities to unkept toilets or localities. Many mobile applications have also been launched by not only the government but also by a few citizens, which direct the municipal corporations’ attention towards unclean areas.

Under SBM, the states and UTs take up work for the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs), Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs), and assets for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM). In addition, funds are utilised for Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities and Administrative charges.Also, an incentive of ₹12,000 is provided for the construction of IHHLs for eligible beneficiaries in rural and urban areas, which covers the provision of water storage.
The centre and the state share the incentive provided for IHHLs in a 90:10 ratio for North Eastern States, Jammu and Kashmir, and Special Category States, and in a 60:40 ratio for the rest of the country. Additional contributions from other sources are also permitted. A total of ₹83937 crores was allocated from 2014 to 2022 for SBM-G. Additionally, a provision was made for extra budgetary resources of ₹15,000 crores.

SBM-U focuses on constructing IHHLs, community and public toilets, solid waste management (SWM) plants, and used water management (UWM). Funds are also spent on advertising, which is covered under the IEC and Public Awareness component. In addition, Certification Protocols for ODF, ODF+, ODF++, and Water+ have been designed for third-party verification of every city's ODF status every year.Under phase 2 of the Swachh Bharat Mission for urban local bodies (ULBs) with a population of less than one lakh, a new component of UWM has also been included. Under this component, central assistance is provided for mechanised desludging equipment, sewage and septage treatment facilities, and drain interception and diversion.Under the SBM-U, funds were allocated for the mission period and not on a yearly basis. From 2014 to 2021, the mission allocation for the States and UTs was ₹13,239.89 crores and ₹30,980.20 crores for 2021-2026. Also Read: Benefits of Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY)

Swachh Bharat Mission boasts of being the most successful social welfare campaign in India, considering that it depends largely on public participation. Some of the achievements of the Swachh Bharat Mission are:

Improved Sanitation and Public Health

The massive success of the Swachh Bharat Mission mission can be measured by the following numbers:

• 12 crores of toilets have been built in the last nine years, liberating the country from the malpractice of open defecation.
• Nearly 4.43 lakh villages accounting for 75% of the total villages, have achieved the ODF+ status.
• Urban India has become complete ODF, with all 4,715 ULBs completely ODF.
• 3,547 ULBs are ODF+ with functional and hygienic community and public toilets, and 1,191 ULBs are ODF++ with complete faecal sludge management.
• 14 cities are certified Water+, which entails the treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.
• 95% of wards in India have 100% door-to-door collection of waste. More than 88% of the wards have source segregation of waste.
• The WHO reported 300,000 fewer diarrheal deaths in 2019 than in 2014, directly contributing to improved sanitation.
• With better access to sanitation facilities, 93% of women reported feeling safer at home.

Behavioural Shift Towards Awareness

The foundation of the Swachh Bharat Mission lies in public participation through awareness. SBM has witnessed unprecedented public enthusiasm towards adopting a healthier and more hygienic lifestyle. Public participation can be quantified in terms of people who participated in the Swachh Survekshan 2022. Here are some numbers:

• 18,17,513 citizens provided face-to-face feedback while 73,95,680 filled out online feedback.
• 22,26,805 photographs were captured and submitted as proof of participation.
• This survey included 4,354 ULBs, 62 Cantonment boards, 91 Ganga towns, 90,441 wards, 17,030 commercial areas, and 24,744 residential areas.

Economic Benefits

The Swachh Bharat Mission has also boosted India's economy. Better sanitation reduces healthcare costs and increases productivity. With fewer illnesses, more people can work actively, driving economic growth and development. Families in ODF villages saved an average of ₹50,000 annually on health costs.Swachh Bharat Mission has resulted in massive employment generation in sectors such as construction, sanitation infrastructure development, waste management and related industries.

Despite the massive success of the Swachh Bharat Mission, there are certain challenges to achieving 100% of its objectives. These are:

• Only 42.5% of rural households have access to water for toilet use, and without water, the rate of toilet non-usage increases.
• Open defection is traditional behaviour in rural India, and people still perceive it as healthier and cleaner. As they say, old habits take time to go.
• A study conducted in four north Indian states suggests that toilet usage in rural households has increased to 56%. There might be a deviation in numbers reported officially and actually in practice.
• Along with sanitation, efforts must be made to improve hand hygiene awareness. Hand washing facilities such as water, soap, and space are not always available, so the practice of hand washing with soap and water becomes inconsistent in many areas of rural India.

The Hon’ble Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs launched the Swachhata App on 6th August 2016 for 4,041 statutory towns in India. It is essentially a grievance redressal tool, envisioned as an effective tool towards enabling citizens to have their grievances addressed by the concerned Municipal Corporation.With the app, you can click a picture of the problem area, upload it, and have the complaint delegated to the associated ward engineer by the city's Nodal Office. The complaint is then forwarded to the ward engineer, who can then work on the issue and update the status to ‘resolved’ using the engineer’s version of the app.A website and dashboard are developed for stakeholders at the City (ULB), State, and Centre, allowing them to review the complaints and resolution status. The app is available in English and six other regional languages.

Swachh Bharat Mission has transformed the Indian sanitation landscape in only a decade. While urban India has completely become open defecation-free, rural India still has some inhibitions, and the adoption rate is slow. Other challenges, like a shortage of water supply, hinder realising the objective.Nevertheless, the efforts taken by the government, individuals, communities, and municipalities to make India a healthier living place cannot be denied. Further, sustainable solid and liquid waste management and recycling seem to be a way forward in assisting the Swachh Bharat Mission.There is still much to do to achieve an OD-free India. The government alone, notwithstanding its resources, will not be able to accomplish the mission; individual willingness is a must. Also, a massive mobilisation of civil society, NGOs, and the country’s influencers will continue to provide the much-needed push for the mission.