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SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (SBM)

SYLLABUS:

• GS 2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Focus:

• The Swachh Bharat Mission fully owned by the state has become a toolkit for privatisation of public health services.

About Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM):

Launch and Objective:

• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched on October 2, 2014, with the vision of achieving a cleaner India by October 2, 2019.
• The mission aimed to eliminate open defecation, eradicate manual scavenging, and promote scientific solid waste management.

Achievements:

Sanitation Coverage:

• India’s sanitation coverage increased from 39% in 2014 to 100% in 2019 under SBM-Grameen.
• The mission achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by October 2019, with a subsequent goal to transition to ODF Plus by 2024-25.
• Approximately 85% of villages have attained ODF Plus status.

Toilet Access:

• According to the National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) Round 3, 95% of India’s rural population had toilet access, with 79% owning their facilities.
• Reduction in open defecation has helped curb diseases.

Public Toilets and Waste Management:

• Over 6 lakh community and public toilets were constructed across India.
• Many cities and towns have improved door-to-door waste collection, waste segregation, and scientific waste processing.

Behavioral Change and Awareness:

• The mission emphasized behavioral change through mass awareness campaigns, encouraging cleaner practices.
• Competitions like Swachhta leagues and rankings of clean cities fostered positive competition and public satisfaction.

Investment in Waste Management:

• The mission mobilized over Rs 20,000 crores for solid and liquid waste management systems, strengthening urban infrastructure.

Swachh Bharat Mission: Overview and Criticisms

• Ambitious Goals: Launched by the Modi government, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) aims to eliminate open defecation and improve urban sanitation.
• Continuation of Caste Practices: Despite efforts to universalize sanitation responsibilities, the SBM has inadvertently continued traditional caste-based roles in sanitation jobs.
• Questionable Effectiveness: Reports from the Comptroller and Auditor General highlight issues such as the poor construction quality of toilets and the lack of access to sanitation facilities in slum areas.
• Technological Dependence: The mission has heavily relied on capital-intensive technologies for waste management, which have often failed to meet expectations, exacerbating health and environmental issues.
• Privatization and Discrimination: The privatization of sanitation services has perpetuated caste discrimination, with marginalized communities continuing to perform the majority of waste management work under large contractors.

Impact on Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

• Low Ranking: India’s low ranking in the 2022 EPI can be partly attributed to the inefficacies in missions like SBM, which aim to address environmental health and sanitation.
• Inadequate Implementation: The EPI’s metrics suggest that India’s approaches to managing air quality, water sanitation, and waste treatment have been insufficient, directly impacting its overall environmental performance.
• Government Criticism of EPI: The Indian government has contested the EPI methodology, claiming it fails to accurately reflect the Indian scenario, which suggests a disconnect between perceived and actual environmental management efficacy.
• Lack of Comprehensive Success Stories: Despite various technological interventions in waste management, there are minimal success stories, indicating a gap between strategy and execution.
• Need for Structural Changes: The continuous poor performance in the EPI underscores the need for India to rethink its environmental strategies and align them more closely with sustainable development goals.

Challenges in Urban Development and Public Health

• Insufficient Resources: Urban areas, especially in developing infrastructures like Shimla, face a shortage of essential personnel like sanitation inspectors, impacting effective municipal management.
• Technological Overreliance: Cities are being pushed to adopt expensive technological solutions for waste management, which often do not yield the promised benefits and strain financial resources.
• Contractor Dependence: The shift towards privatization has led to a reliance on contractors for essential services, reducing direct accountability and perpetuating socio-economic disparities.
• Scarcity of Inspectors: The declining number of sanitation inspectors due to policies against recruitment exacerbates the inefficiency in managing urban sanitation and health.
• Systemic Issues: The overall development model, as criticized in the EPI and by various judicial observations, shows significant systemic flaws that need addressing to improve environmental and human health outcomes.

Limitations:

• Toilet Usage: Despite 100% sanitation coverage, only 85% of rural Indians use safe and hygienic toilets.
• Quality and Infrastructure Issues: Malfunctioning facilities, unhygienic conditions, and structural defects impede usage.
• Water Scarcity: Limited water access, especially in rural areas, affects toilet usage.
• Behavioral and Cultural Norms: Cultural and social norms influence toilet usage, with some households using toilets for purposes other than defecation.
• Caste-Based Variations: Variations in toilet access and usage exist across castes, with higher non-usage rates among upper castes.
• Challenges in Solid Waste Management: Scientific collection, segregation, and disposal of growing waste volumes remain challenging due to urban local body constraints.

Way Forward:

• Behavioral Change and Awareness: Focus on behavior change communication and public awareness campaigns to promote hygienic toilet use, waste segregation, and anti-littering habits.
• Technological Innovations: Support for decentralized sewage treatment plants and other technological advancements in sanitation.
• Capacity Building: Strengthen urban local bodies’ capacities for waste management and processing.
• Integration with Other Programs: Align sanitation initiatives with programs like the Jal Jeevan Mission for comprehensive outcomes.
• Community-Driven Approaches: Develop localized waste management models with community participation and public-private partnerships.
• Infrastructure Expansion: Expand solid waste processing infrastructure, including biomethanation plants and material recovery facilities.
• Monitoring and Maintenance: Implement improved monitoring for the functionality and maintenance of public and community toilets.
• Targeted Improvements: Expand toilet coverage to include slums and public spaces with customizable, prefabricated toilet models.
• Incentivizing Waste Management: Encourage waste segregation, recycling, and reuse through policies and awareness programs based on circular economy principles.

Source:The Hindu

Mains Practice Question:

“Critically evaluate the achievements and limitations of the Swachh Bharat Mission in promoting cleanliness and sanitation across India. How can the mission be improved to address the challenges faced in its implementation?” (250 words)

Associated Articles:

https://universalinstitutions.com/swachh-bharat-abhiyan-indias-cleanliness-revolution/