Swachh Bharat Mission

1. Swachh Bharat Mission: An Outstanding Achievement, But Challenges Remain! One of the greatest milestones achieved by our country is the implementation of the Swachh Bharat mission urban, which was started by our Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on 2nd October 2014, with the aim of spreading awareness and working towards cleanliness and sanitation in India. Over the years, this mission has taken many twists and turns and indeed achieved numerous things in the sphere of cleanliness and hygiene. Setting up of E-toilets, separation of wet and dry waste, regular sweeping of roads, the building of toilets in every household, better waste disposal, etc. are few of the things which were done and have still been going on in order to achieve the ultimate goal of Clean India, Green India. Although efforts have been made by both the Central government as well as the State governments, to spread the knowledge of sanitation amongst people, there are still certain obstacles that the country and this mission as a whole need to overcome in order to reach its final destination. Swachh Bharat Mission- Gramin was an exceptional milestone in the journey of Swachh Bharat mission gramin. This rural sanitation programme under the Swachh Bharat Mission helped in combining political parties with resources on such a big scale. The administrative drive from the Centre was phenomenal. One of the most important things under this programme was spreading awareness on public sanitation and how open defecation could cause harmful diseases. Open defecation has been one of the major problems in the rural areas of India. Hence, building toilets and making it a mandatory activity for every rural household was on top priority for the Government. It provided financial aid to houses to build washrooms at home. But, surveys and on-ground studies show that many of the achievements were just in numbers and not really happening. In fact, the quality of such toilets was something to also look upon. These structures were not safe for women and thus, this aim of ``Every house should have a toilet” is still in progress and would take time to be fulfilled. On the other hand, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, has been comparatively a greater success. The waste disposal systems have gotten better and more advanced. E-Toilets have been built on roads, near parks, highways, etc. Maintenance of these washrooms is also done on a regular basis. Open urination has reduced substantially. Wet and dry waste disposal separately has been practiced by households for a healthier lifestyle. But, rural areas still need to understand sanitary practices and overall participate and contribute to the Swachh Bharat Sanitation programmes that have been implemented in their villages. Solid and liquid waste management has also received quite some attention over the years. Awareness about cleanliness and sanitation will reduce health risks, promote a healthier lifestyle, encourage hygiene, and help them survive in cities if they ever wish to come to one. This is a joint effort, hence, villages and rural areas all over the country need to participate whole-heartedly for their own benefit and understand the importance of Swachh Bharat Mission in their lives.