Prime minister Narendra Modi On October 1 this year, the second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT 2) were launched and these schemes aim to make all cities garbage free and water safe. The objective of SBM-U is to make all urban local bodies open defecation free.
Under AMRUT 2.0, the government plans to achieve 100% coverage of water supply to the households of about 4700 ULBs. About 2.68 crore tap connections will be given in these towns.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 will focus on source segregation of solid waste, using the principles of 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Scientific processing of all types of municipal solid waste and treatment of old dump sites will also be taken up under this phase of the scheme for effective solid waste management.
Although the challenges towards achieving the sustainable sanitation goals are manifold, the government is focusing on providing safe sanitation facilities for all in both urban and rural areas. As the government’s focus is on toilet use, maintenance of public toilets, operational sewage systems and garbage-free urban areas, authorities must plan to address challenges on water, sanitation and hygiene.
The National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS5, 2019-20) data showed that out of the 18 states and union territories for which the report was available, only five rural households had 100% toilet facilities. These states were- Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim. NFHS-5 data shows that the states of Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra have less than 80 per cent toilets in rural areas.
On October 2, 2019 PM Modi announced that 699 districts and 599,963 villages have become open defecation free under SBM. But a survey released by the NSO in November 2019 titled ‘Status of Drinking Water, Sanitation, Sanitation and Housing in India’ found that 28.7% of all village households do not have access to toilets. Another 3.5% of households had toilet facilities but did not use it. The NSO also showed that only 75.8% in Gujarat, 78% in Maharashtra and 65.8% in Rajasthan have any type of toilet facility.
Keeping up with the progress made on toilet use and ensuring the use of toilets can be a huge task for the government. Water scarcity and lack of water supply has emerged as a major reason for people not using toilets in many parts. Lack of water supply and drainage facilities is also another serious problem, mostly in urban areas. Motivating people to use toilets and monitoring progress in ODF villages is another area that needs attention.
The Union Cabinet has recently decided to continue the nationwide cleanliness drive under SBM till 2025-26 with focus on sustainable sanitation. Although the government’s programs are a step in the right direction, the authorities should prepare an implementation plan to address the challenges on the way to sustainable sanitation.
Mission Paani, an initiative of News18 and Harpic India, also aims to create awareness about water conservation, sanitation and hygiene.
Mission Pani Abhiyan works towards enhancing the communication around the programs of the Central and State Governments so that more and more people can be benefited.
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