The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan: A Decade of Transformation 

Initiated in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, or Clean India Mission, was a significant movement. The mission is to make the country free from open defecation and improve sanitation and hygiene conditions.

The mission was to reduce open defecation, promote good sanitation practices, and manage solid waste. It aims toward the achievement of a clean India by 2019. While the initial targeted deadline has passed, the journey toward a cleaner India seems only to have picked up steam, with renewed impetus and amplified targets. 

The Mission Coordinator shall be the Secretary and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) with two Sub Missions the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). The Mission shall work towards a Swachh Bharat by 2019, as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.

History of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan

The campaign of the Clean India Movement is the biggest step taken ever as a cleanliness drive to date. On the day of the campaign’s launch, around 3 million government employees, including students from schools and colleges, participated in the event to make it popular globally and make the common public aware of it. The event was organized at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on the 2nd of October in 2014 in the presence of 1500 people. Former President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee flagged off this mission.

Honourable PM Narendra Modi nominated the names of nine famous personalities from business industries, sports, and Bollywood to drive the Clean India campaign. Also, he had requested all the nine personalities to invite another nine individually and invite them to continue the chain of nine people and take this campaign to every Indian living in any corner of the country.

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Background and Objectives

PM Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan campaign for national cleanliness. Some of the objectives include:

• Ending Open Defecation: Stopping open defecation emerged as one of the major public health problems in rural as well as urban areas, and was one of the prime objectives. 

• Improved Solid Waste Management: The campaign aims to improve the waste management system through segregation, recycling, and proper disposal of waste.

• Hygiene and Sanitation Promotion: Educating people about good sanitation practices and encouraging community participation in keeping the city clean.

• Awareness creation: To make the general public understand the essence of cleanliness in improving the quality of health and life.

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Key Achievements

1. Toilet Construction: The most visible achievement of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been the construction of millions of toilets across rural and urban India. Indeed, more than 120 million toilets have been built as of August 2024, significantly reducing the number of people defecating in the open. This has improved public health and enhanced dignity for women and children.

2. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan: This has grown out of the Swachh Bharat Mission as an integrated program with safe sanitation for every household. This has furthered its convergence with different government schemes, including subsidies and financial support for toilet construction.

3. Solid Waste Management: In this regard, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan triggered improved solid waste management practices in urban areas. Most municipalities in the country have embraced garbage segregation at source, efficient collection systems, and recycling processes. By August 2024, many cities would have crossed a few important milestones in waste processing, with some emerging at the forefront of zero-waste initiatives.

4. Behavioral Change Campaigns: The Swachh Bharat Mission has conducted rigorous awareness campaigns to change public attitudes toward sanitation. Activities such as the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign and the Swachh Bharat Run have involved citizens in cleanliness drives, hence giving responsibilities with a sense of community ownership.

5. Swachh Survekshan: This annual ranking of cities by cleanliness and sanitation practices has become an important tool for assessment purposes. As per the latest 2024 results from the survey, most cities are improving their sanitation scores and some urban areas rank at the top with innovative and effective practices in solid waste management.

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Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

Fully recognizing the need for continued impetus, the government launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 in 2020 with an expanded scope:

• Solid and Liquid Waste Management: Based primarily on scientific processing of solid and liquid wastes.

• Grey Water Management: Reuse of grey water for nonpotable purposes.

• Safer Sanitation: Provision of hygienic and safe sanitation conditions with a special focus on women and girls.

• Plastic Waste Management: Addressing plastic pollution.

Impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan further impacted various aspects of Indian society in one way or another:

1. Public Health: Cases of waterborne diseases decreased.

2. Women Empowerment: Improvement in sanitation facilities resulted in an increased sense of safety and dignity for women.

3. Child Health: Improved hygiene practices contributed to better child health and nutrition.

4. Economic Growth: A clean environment attracts investments and tourism flows ensue.

5. Environment protection: Reduced pollution and improved the overall quality of the environment.

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Role of Technology and Innovation

Technology has contributed much to the success of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. These include:

1. Accurate Monitoring: Usage of technology for exact monitoring of sanitation facilities and waste management.

2. Mobile Apps: Development of mobile apps for citizen engagement and reporting of issues concerning sanitation.  

3. Digital Payments: Digital payment systems are promoted for sanitation services.

4. Waste Management Solutions: Develop a solid waste management system to reduce solid waste.

Future Development

Sustained efforts on the following countermeasures are needed to build on the gains made by SBA:

1. Sustained Behavior Change: Unrelenting campaigns for awareness generation and community mobilization.

2. Strengthening Solid Waste Management: Both in terms of infrastructure creation and capacity building for efficient management of waste.

3. Public-Private Partnerships: Engaging private sector expertise and investment for sustainability.

4. Monitoring and Evaluation: The plan shall be regularly monitored with evaluation to trace progress and make improvements.

Conclusion

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan journey is a transformation campaign for India. Wading on the positives and correcting the rest, India is on its way to becoming a clean and healthy nation. The legacy of this mission lies in its ability to sustain and take forward the higher trajectory of the gains achieved for future generations.

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