Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – Leading to Healthier Life and Prosperity
Gandhiji had stated that, “Sanitation is more important than independence.” Cleanliness and sanitation were an integral part of the Gandhian way of living. His mission was sanitation for all. After several decades – Shri Narendra Modi, present Prime Minister of India has taken up the same initiative of promoting the concept of cleanliness to his fellow citizens.
India needs to benchmark ideal cities like Chennai and Surat. Surat used to be a soiled city and during the early 90s the city was attacked by plague. Using the 1994 plague panic as a launch board, two IAS officers, S.R. Rao and S. Jagadeesan, who served as Surat’s Municipal Commissioners during the 90s, transformed Surat from being one of the dirtiest cities in India into one of the best cities. In Chennai, the municipal authorities did not give water connection to the buildings that were not equipped with measures for rain water harvesting With rapid urbanization and growing population the urban areas are becoming more and more dirty and the basic civic sense of keeping the locales clean is missing. The very basic amenities like toilets are either not available or even if they exist at some locations they are in such unsanitary conditions that people do not use the public toilets. The situation is rural areas are even more pitiful as the concept of closed toilets do not exist. Over the years our holy rivers Ganga, Yamuna, etc., rivers are so polluted that the water is not usable...................
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: An Overview
On October 2nd 2014, the present Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi (Modi), initiated the national campaign Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (meaning Clean India Campaign) by picking up a broom and cleaning a pavement at Valmiki Basti, a sanitation workers colony at Rajpath, New Delhi.............
Objectives of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
There are eight objectives of SBA. The main purpose of getting these objectives is to ensure that Indian citizens lead healthy and prosperous life:
• To eradicate the system of open defecation in India
• To convert the insanitary toilets into pour flush toilets
• To remove the system of manual scavenging
• .............
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Nominees and Brand Ambassadors
Many dignified personalities have been nominated by their peers and have taken up the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative with great zeal and passed the baton ahead to other contemporaries to join and lead the campaign.............
People’s Response to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
• Darewadi Villagers Cycled 10,000 km across 11 Countries for Eco-Toilets -
Darewadi village in Pune has become the latest village to say no to open defecation. Darewadi villagers constructed eco-friendly toilets in the village much before the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched by PM Modi. In 2012, four Germans – three men and a woman cycled from Germany to India across 11 countries in five months.............
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Present Status of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
A survey was carried out which includes 308 women (165 adolescents girls aged between 13-17 years and 143 women aged between 18-35 years. Sidhivinayak Hirve, Sajay Juvekar and Pallavi Lele have published their research paper in the Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. The major problem reported by these women is non-availability of water, inadequate lighting, long waiting time and unclean toilets...............
Assignment Questions
I. List the challenges faced in successful implementation of SBA.
II. ..............
Exhibits
Exhibit I: Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Logo and Tagline
Exhibit II: Achievements made under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Gramin) (upto October 31st 2014)