Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban

For Prelims: Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, open defecation, Garbage Free Star Ratings

For Mains: Swachh Bharat Mission, Government Policies and Interventions

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized a review-cum-workshop to evaluate and accelerate the planning and implementation of the second phase of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U 2.0) across the country.

The issue of open defecation has once again garnered attention following the recent release of the Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) report on water, sanitation, and hygiene by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) for the year 2022. The report stated that approximately 17% of the total population in India continues to practice open defecation.

What is Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban?

About:
- Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) was launched on October 2, 2014, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs as a national campaign to promote cleanliness, sanitation, and proper waste management in urban areas.
- It aimed to make cities and towns across India clean and free from open defecation.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 1.0:
- The first phase of SBM-U focused on achieving the target of making urban India ODF by providing access to toilets and promoting behavioral change.
- SBM-U 1.0 was successful in achieving the target and 100% of urban India was declared ODF.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (2021-2026):
- SBM-U 2.0, announced in Budget 2021-22, is the continuation of SBM-U first phase.
- The second phase of SBM-U aimed to go beyond ODF to ODF+, and ODF++, and focus on making urban India garbage-free.
- It emphasized sustainable sanitation practices, waste management, and the promotion of a circular economy.
Achievements:
- Open Defecation Free (ODF):
  - Urban India has become Open Defecation Free (ODF), with all 4,715 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) completely ODF.
  - 3,547 ULBs are ODF+ with functional and hygienic community and public toilets, and 1,191 ULBs are ODF++ with complete faecal sludge management.
  - 14 cities are certified Water+, which entails treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.
- Waste Processing:
  - Waste Processing in India has gone up by over 4 times from 17% in 2014 to 75% in 2023, aided through 100% door-to-door waste collection in 97% wards and source segregation of waste being practised by citizens across almost 90% wards in all ULBs in the country.
- Garbage Free Cities:
  - The Garbage Free Cities(GFC)-Star rating protocol launched in January 2018 has increased from only 56 cities in the first year to 445 cities till date, with an ambitious target of having at least 1,000 3-star GFC by October 2024.
    - The 2023-24 budget has reinforced India's commitment to building a circular economy through an enhanced focus on scientific management of dry and wet waste.

What is Open Defecation Free Status?

ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any point of the day, not even a single person is found defecating in the open.
ODF+: This status is given if at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained.
ODF++: This status is given if the area is already ODF+ and the faecal sludge/septage and sewage are safely managed and treated, with no discharging or dumping of untreated faecal sludge and sewage into the open drains, water bodies or areas.

What are the Key Highlights of the JMP Report?

Open Defecation Rate:
- The report reveals that 17% of the rural population in India still practices open defecation.
Access to Basic Sanitation Facilities:
- A quarter of the rural population in India lacks access to "at least basic" sanitation facilities.
  - Basic services are defined as improved sanitation facilities that households do not share with others.
Progress since 2015:
- The report tracks progress since 2015 when the goals for sanitation were set.
- In 2015, approximately 41% of the rural population practiced open defecation, which was reduced to 17% in 2022.
- In terms of sanitation facilities, 51% of households had at least basic sanitation in 2015, increasing to 75% in 2022.
Rate of Decline in Open Defecation:
- India has registered an annual average decline of 3.39% in open defecation.
- If this decline rate continues, it would take around four to five years to achieve open defecation-free status.
Recommendations:
- Emphasize the importance of behavioral change to promote toilet usage over open defecation.
- Quantify and measure the behavioral shift towards using toilets to accurately ascertain ODF status.
- Address the public health implications of open defecation by working towards its elimination.
- Maintain continuous monitoring and evaluation of sanitation practices to identify areas for improvement and ensure sustained progress.
- Reassess the ODF milestone in India based on the findings of the JMP report and take comprehensive measures to address open defecation and improve sanitation facilities.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Q. “To ensure effective implementation of policies addressing the water, sanitation and hygiene needs the identification of the beneficiary segments is to be synchronized with anticipated outcomes.” Examine the statement in the context of the WASH scheme. (2017)

Q. How could social influence and persuasion contribute to the success of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan? (2016)