SBM stands for Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin which was launched on 2nd October 2014. It aims at establishing a healthy and clean environment by making the country free from open defecation. The mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajghat. The campaign seeks to increase the access of improved sanitation facilities to all families of the country by providing them with a toilet, and an attachment for their toilets.
SBM is mainly a rural initiative and is being implemented in 22 States as well as Union Territories (UTs)- Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep , Madhya Pradesh Maharashtra , Odisha , Puducherry , Andhra Pradesh , Telangana .
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin
The campaign aims to achieve the goals set by the government for the year 2015-16 and also the commitments made for the period of UPA government. The mission aims to keep India clean and free from open defecation by April 2019, when Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary is celebrated. Given this time frame , the Swachh Bharat Mission needs to be taken up as one of the priorities to make India a clean and developed nation.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin is an initiative launched by Narendra Modi, who has been elected as the Prime Minister of India in 2014
Need for Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin
Toilets have always been a question mark in Indian culture and we still see people performing open defecation everyday. The government of India has been trying to make toilets in rural households , but were not very successful in making people stop open defecation. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has a goal of having 100 percent sanitation coverage by the end of 2019.
There is a need for proper working toilets in rural households and identification and inspection of community and public toilets. Government needs to make people aware about proper usage and benefits linked with using toilets so that they can promote it among their family members as well.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin also focuses on education & awareness regarding sanitation and also on waste management. The main aim of the Swachh Bharat Mission is to increase the access of improved sanitation facilities to all families of the country by providing them with attached toilet facilities and creating awareness about its usage and benefits.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin will make sure that Indians get rid of the health hazards caused due to poor sanitation and hygiene practices. It will also ensure that India does not have to face any embarrassment during foreigner visits in future because of poor sanitation and hygiene practices
Concerns related to Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin
Proper utilization of funds and resources are the key concern at this moment as we are still finding open defecation being performed by people especially in rural areas. Government has taken some measures like making toilets compulsory under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan but they were not very effective. Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin has to be taken up as a major initiative and given top priority, however we still find people defecating in the open. Thus, it is a big challenge for the government to check and control the spread of diseases like diarrhoea. As of now, we still have some unspotted areas where no toilets have been built under Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin such as parts of Madhya Pradesh , Odisha etc. Government needs to make sure that the project remains under close watch and proper check up so that all targets are achieved.
Structure of Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin
The government will provide financial assistance to various types of rural sanitation facilities like toilets, septic tanks, pit latrines, eco-friendly and bio-toilets. In case of lack of sufficient funds, the government will provide funding support through public private partnership in the form of mini public holding companies .
Swachh Bharat Mission also aims at promoting awareness about sanitation in general and a special emphasis is laid on Swachh Mantra as it has been instructed that everybody should chant this mantra everyday for a better cleanliness.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan – Vision and Objectives
The Swachh Bharat Mission aims to eradicate open defecation from the country by the year 2019 i.e. the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The mission aims at eliminating open defecation in rural India and ensuring proper usage of toilets in rural India by their families. Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin will be implemented with an aim to provide a toilet facility to all rural households of the country with a population of more than 50 people and also ensure community as well as public toilets which will be maintained properly.
Conclusion
Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin will help people living in rural India to have better sanitation and hygiene practices. The mission will make sure that every household in rural India has a toilet facility which will also help in improving public health and safety. As of now, open defecation is still a major concern in rural areas, but once we are able to put an end to it by the year 2019, the government will be successful in achieving one of its main goals under SBM.