SWACHHA BHARAT ABHIYAN

Introduction

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a national level campaign by the Government of India, covering 4041 statutory towns to clean the streets, roads and infrastructure of the country.

This campaign was officially launched on 2 October 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself cleaned a road using a broom. The campaign is India's biggest ever cleanliness drive and 3 million government employees and schools and colleges students of India participated in this event. The mission was started by Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, nominating nine famous personalities for this campaign, and they take up the challenge and nominate nine more people and so on (like the branching of a tree). It has been carried forward since then with famous people from all walks of life joining it.

Genesis of the program

Central Rural Sanitation Program (CRSP) – 1986

The components of the Central Rural Sanitation Program (CRSP) are as under : a) Construction of individual sanitary latrines for households below poverty line with subsidy (80%) where demand exists. b) Conversion of dry latrines into low cost sanitary latrines. c) Construction of exclusive village sanitary complexes for women by providing complete facilities for hand pump, bathing, sanitation & washing on a selective basis where adequate land/space within the premises of the houses do not exist and where village Panchayats are willing to maintain. d) Setting up of sanitary marts. e) Total sanitation of village through the construction of drains, soakage pits, solid and liquid waste disposal. f) Intensive campaign for awareness generation and health education for creating felt need for personal, household and environmental sanitation facilities

Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) – April 1999

The Government of India have restructured the Comprehensive Rural Sanitation Program with effect from 1.4.1999 and launched the Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC).

Nirmal Gram Puraskar – June 2003

To give a fillip to the Total Sanitation Campaign, the Government of India launched an incentive scheme from June 2003 in the form of an award for total sanitation coverage, maintenance of clean environment and open defecation-free Village Panchayats, Blocks and Districts called 'Nirmal Gram Puraskar'

Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA) – April 2012

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – October 2014

Overview of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan[edit]

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was announced by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi on Indian Independence Day & launched on 2 Oct 2014, Gandhi Jayanti. On this day, Modi addressed the citizens of India in a public gathering held at Rajghat, New Delhi, India and asked everyone to join this campaign. Later on this day, Modi himself swept a parking area at Mandir Marg Police Station followed by pavement in Valmiki Basti, a colony of sanitation workers, at Mandir Marg, near Connaught Place, New Delhi.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee asked every Indian to spend 100 hours annually in this drive. This campaign is supported by the Indian Army, Border Security Force, Indian Air Force and India.

Objectives

This campaign aims to accomplish the vision of 'Clean India' by 2 October 2019, 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi and is expected to cost over Rs. 62000 crore. The fund sharing between the Central Government and the State Government/ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) is 75%:25% (90%:10% for North Eastern and special category states). The campaign was described as "beyond politics" and "inspired by patriotism".

·        To eliminate open defecation

·        Conversion of insanitary toilets to pour flush toilets

·        To Eradicate manual scavenging

·        100% collection and scientific processing/disposal reuse/recycle of Municipal Solid Waste

·        To bring about a behavioral change in people regarding healthy sanitation practices

·        To generate awareness among the citizens about sanitation and its linkages with public health

·        To strengthen urban local bodies to design, execute and operate systems

·        To create enabling environment for private sector participation in Capital Expenditure and Operation & Maintenance (O&M) costs