Govt unveils rural sanitation strategy

                       

 

A document on 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy, with a focus on increasing access to solid and liquid waste management, was unveiled by the department of drinking water and sanitation (DDWS), ministry of jal shakti, on September 28.

It also focuses on sustaining the behavioural change regarding sanitation, which has been achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).

Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said the 10-year Rural Sanitation Strategy is a framework to sustain the efforts of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).

Department of drinking water and sanitation secretary Parameswaran Iyer said the document will be sent to the Union Cabinet for its approval.

ODF Plus plan

Since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in 2014, more than 10 crore toilets have been built in rural areas, while over 5.9 lakh villages, 699 districts and 35 states and Union territories have declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF).

According to the document, the strategy also speaks about potential collaborations with development partners, civil society and inter-government partnerships, and also highlights innovative models for sanitation financing.

ODF Plus envisages that everyone uses a toilet and every village has access to solid and liquid waste management.

This ODF Plus plan has been prepared by the DDWS in consultation with state governments and other stakeholders, and it lays down a framework to guide local governments, policymakers, implementers and other relevant stakeholders in their planning for ODF Plus, Iyer said.

He said the 10-year strategy focuses on the need for states and Union territories to continue their efforts to sustain the gains of the mission through capacity strengthening, information, education and communication, organic waste management, plastic waste management, grey water management and black water management.

Swachh Bharat Mission

To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014.

The mission aims to achieve a Swachh Bharat by 2019, as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.

In rural India, this would mean improving the levels of cleanliness through solid and liquid waste management activities and making villages ODF, clean and sanitised.

Mission objectives

* To bring about an improvement in the general quality of life in rural areas by promoting cleanliness, hygiene and eliminating open defecation.

* To accelerate sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Swachh Bharat by October 2.

* To motivate communities to adopt sustainable sanitation practices and facilities through awareness creation and health education.

* To encourage cost-effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.

* To develop community managed sanitation systems focusing on scientific solid and liquid waste management systems for overall cleanliness in rural areas.

* To create significant positive impact on gender and promote social inclusion by improving sanitation, especially in marginalised communities.