CONTENT

1. Swachhata Pakhwada

Swachhata Pakhwada

Context:

Recently, the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) has taken a significant step towards promoting cleanliness and environmental sustainability with the launch of Swachhata Pakhwada and it will run from 16th May to 31st May 2024.

Relevance:

GS II: Government Policies and Interventions

Dimensions of the Article:

1. About Swachhata Pakhwada
2. Swachh Bharat Mission

About Swachhata Pakhwada:

Overview:

• Swachhata Pakhwada is an initiative launched in April 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Objective:

• The primary objective of Swachhata Pakhwada is to bring a fortnight of concentrated focus on Swachhata (cleanliness) issues and practices by engaging central government ministries/departments.

Aim:

• The initiative aims to involve all ministries and departments in a common program to contribute to the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Planning:

• An annual calendar is circulated among the ministries in advance to assist them in planning activities for the Pakhwada.

Monitoring:

• Ministries observing Swachhata Pakhwada are closely monitored using the online monitoring system of Swachhata Samiksha. This system facilitates the uploading and sharing of action plans, images, and videos related to Swachhata activities.

Implementation:

• During the Pakhwada fortnight, participating ministries are designated as ‘Swachhata Ministries’ and are expected to implement qualitative cleanliness improvements within their jurisdictions.

Swachh Bharat Mission:

• On October 2, 2014, the Prime Minister of India inaugurated the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) with the primary goal of eradicating open defecation throughout the country by 2019.
• The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative signifies a crucial and long-overdue endeavor to improve sanitation conditions in India.
• Globally, India’s record in terms of open defecation was even worse than in some economically disadvantaged regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, Haiti, and Ghana.
• This campaign aims to tackle this issue and elevate India’s sanitation standards to meet international norms.

Two distinct phases of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:

• The first phase of the mission extended until October 2019, and the second phase extends from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
• The objectives of these phases were rooted in completing the foundational work laid out in Phase 1.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen Phase I:

• In the initial phase, launched in 2014, the rural sanitation coverage in the country stood at 38.7%.
• Since the initiation of this effort, more than 100 million individual toilets have been constructed.
•  Rural areas across all states declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) by October 2, 2019.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen Phase II:

• The emphasis of Phase-II is on ensuring the lasting success of the accomplishments achieved in Phase-I.
• This phase places significant importance on establishing effective infrastructure for the management of Solid/Liquid & Plastic Waste (SLWM) in rural India.
• Implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25 in a mission mode, this phase is allocated a comprehensive budget of Rs. 1,40,881 crores.

Under the ODF Plus category, SLWM is monitored using four outcome indicators:

• Plastic waste management,
• Biodegradable solid waste management (including animal waste),
• Greywater (Household Wastewater) management
• Faecal sludge management.

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U):

• The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), initiated in 2014, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, it is a national mission aimed at promoting cleanliness, sanitation, and effective waste management in the urban areas of India.
• The program’s primary goal is to cleanse and eliminate open defecation from cities and towns across the country, and its implementation is divided into distinct phases.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban Phase I:

• In the initial phase, SBM-U 1.0, the pivotal goal was achieving Open Defecation Free (ODF) status across urban India. This involved providing access to sanitary facilities and encouraging a shift in behavioral norms.

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Urban Phase II:

• SBM-U 2.0 (2021-2026), building upon the accomplishments of the initial phase, aimed not only for ODF+ and ODF++ standards but also for garbage-free urban regions.
• Central to SBM-U 2.0 were sustainable sanitation practices, efficient waste management strategies, and the promotion of a circular economy model, focusing on harnessing waste as a resource and minimizing waste generation.