India is a country where the colourfulness of life is visible in every street, every locality. But many times, the dirt and lack of cleanliness spread in these streets fades this colour. Cleanliness is not just a matter of cleanliness, but it is also related to our health, respect and the progress of the country. Thinking about this, on 2 October 2014, our country’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). This mission is not just a government scheme, but a people’s movement, whose aim is to make India clean and healthy. Let us know in detail about this mission, what it is, why it started, and how it is making our lives better.

What is Swachh Bharat Mission?

Swachh Bharat Mission, called in English Swachh Bharat Mission, is an initiative of the Government of India, which aims to make the country clean and Open Defecation Free (ODF). This mission is divided into two parts: Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). Both have the same objective, but they were implemented keeping in mind the different needs of rural and urban areas.

The dream of this mission is to make India completely clean by 2 October 2019, i.e. by the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. However, this goal expanded over time, and even today this mission is moving forward with new goals. Its basic objective is that every Indian gets a clean environment, clean water, and a respectable life.

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Why was this mission necessary?

If we go back a few years, the condition of sanitation in India was not very good. Most of the people in villages used to defecate in the open. In cities, garbage was scattered on the streets. Diseases spread due to dirt, especially the health of children and women was most affected. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), millions of people fell ill every year due to dirty water and poor sanitation, and sometimes these diseases also became fatal.

The problem of open defecation was not just limited to health. It was also a question of women’s safety and dignity. Going out to defecate early in the morning or in the dark of night, especially in rural areas, was unsafe for women. Apart from this, the dirt also affected tourism and the country’s image. The Swachh Bharat Mission tried to solve all these problems together.

Main goals of Swachh Bharat Mission

Swachh Bharat Mission has some major goals, which make it a special scheme:

• Freedom from Open Defecation (ODF): To make every village and city free from open defecation. For this, lakhs of toilets were constructed.
• Waste Management: Proper disposal of solid and liquid waste so that roads and rivers do not get polluted
• Cleanliness awareness: Telling people about the importance of cleanliness and making it a part of their daily routine
• Healthy Environment: Clean environment helps in reducing diseases and improving quality of life.

Mission Achievements

In the last few years, Swachh Bharat Mission has brought many big changes. Talking about the statistics:

• Toilet construction: More than 12 crore toilets have been built in the country since 2014. The availability of toilets in rural areas has increased from 39% to almost 100%.
• ODF villages and cities: By October 2019, most of the villages and many cities in the country were declared ODF.
• Awareness campaign: Many awareness programmes were conducted in schools, colleges and communities regarding cleanliness. Children were taught lessons on cleanliness in school itself.
• Waste management: Better systems for garbage collection and recycling were created in cities. The process of waste segregation began in many places

Apart from all this, this mission has brought about a change in the thinking of people. Earlier, where people used to ignore dirt, now they are more aware about the cleanliness around them.

How does the mission work?

The government took several steps to make the Swachh Bharat Mission a success. This mission is being run with the cooperation of the central and state governments as well as local bodies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and common people.

• Financial help for toilet construction: The government provided financial help of Rs 12,000 for building toilets in rural areas. This helped even poor families to build toilets in their homes.
• Awareness campaign: People were made aware through TV, radio, social media and Swachhata Rath in every village. Bollywood stars and sportspersons also promoted this mission.
• Swachhta Survey: Every year, cleanliness surveys are conducted in cities and villages, in which the cleanest cities are awarded. This creates an atmosphere of healthy competition
• Waste management: Emphasis on collecting waste in cities, recycling it, and organizing dumping sites

Challenges and Solutions

Like every big scheme, the Swachh Bharat Mission also faced many challenges. Some people were initially reluctant to use toilets as it was difficult to change their old habits. Lack of water in many places made it difficult to maintain toilets. Managing the increasing waste in cities was also a big challenge.

But the government and the community worked together to solve these problems. Swachhata ambassadors were appointed to educate people. Water conservation projects were promoted to overcome water shortage. Emphasis was laid on recycling and composting to reduce waste.

What can you and I do?

Swachh Bharat Mission is not just the responsibility of the government. It is the mission of all of us. We can make it more successful with our small efforts. There are some easy ways:

• Keep house and surroundings clean: Throw garbage in dustbin and separate wet and dry waste.
• Save water: Use water judiciously while cleaning.
• Use the toilet: If there is no toilet in your house, then get it constructed with government help.
• Inspire others: Tell your children, neighbors, and friends the importance of cleanliness.
• Reduce plastic use: Reduce single-use plastic and use cloth bags

The future of Swachh Bharat Mission

The Swachh Bharat Mission is now in its second phase, called SBM 2.0. The focus in this phase is on maintaining ODF status, improving waste management, and managing grey water (domestic dirty water). Apart from this, emphasis is also being laid on reducing plastic waste and promoting organic farming.

conclusion

Swachh Bharat Mission is not just a plan but a dream that is taking us towards a clean, healthy and respectable India. This mission teaches us that small steps together can bring big changes. If we all together keep our house, street and city clean, not only will our health improve but our future generations will also breathe in a better India. So come, be a part of this mission and create a new India by removing the dirt around us. Because cleanliness is not just a habit, it is our responsibility.