Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase II

Ministry of Jal Shakti has recently released a report card for Swachh Bharat (Grameen) Mission Phase II.

Key highlights of the report:

• 75% of villages have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status along with implementing solid or liquidwastemanagement systems.
  • It is a significant step towards achieving the Swachh Bharat (Grameen) Mission Phase II (SBM-G phase II) goals by 2024-25.
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Puducherry, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Tripura have 100% ODF Plus villages.
• A&N Islands, D&N Haveli, Daman & Diu, Jammu & Kashmir, and Sikkim have 100% ODF Plus Model villages.
• Telangana tops the list of SHS Progress Report, 2023 followed by Karnataka and Bihar.

About ODF Plus villages:

• A total of 4,43,964 villages in India are ODF Plus including:
  • 2,92,497 ODF Plus Aspiring villages with Solid Waste Management (SWM) or Liquid Waste Management (LWM).
  • 55,549 ODF Plus Rising villages with both Solid and Liquid Waste Management.

Criteria for ODF Plus Model Village:

• ODF status and has arrangements for both Solid and Liquid Waste Management;
• Observes visual cleanliness (minimal litter, minimal stagnant wastewater, no plastic waste dump in public places),
• Displays ODF Plus Information, Education & Communication (IEC) messages.
• As of date, 96,192 villages are ODF Plus Model villages.

About Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS)-2023 campaign:

• It is celebrated annually from 15th September to 2nd October under SBM (G), Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• It is increasing the ODF Plus momentum through Shramdaan activities with the theme of ‘Garbage Free India’.
• It encourages community participation (Jan Andolan) towards achieving the targets and goals of SBM.

Major achievements of SHS-2023:

• Shramdaan activities include cleaning Beaches, River Side and Waterfronts, Legacy Waste Sites, Tourist and iconic Spots, Public Places, Water Bodies, Institutional Buildings, and Garbage Venerable Sites, among other things.

Solid Waste Management:

Plastic waste management:

• Plastic Waste Management Units (PWMUs) and waste collection and segregation sheds have been set up. 
• Over 3 lakh vehicles ensure effective solid waste management in the country.
• 23 States / UTs are using waste plastic for bituminousroadconstruction.
  • Bituminous road construction: The plastic is cleaned, shredded, bailed, and transported for use in road construction (Ministry of Road Transport & Highways)
• Tamil Nadu and Kerala are using waste plastic as a fuel in Cement factories.
• 1.59 lakh gram panchayats have passed a resolution to ban single-use plastic (SUP).

Bio-degradable waste management:

• Segregation of dry and wet (organic) waste at the source by people for composting at a community level.
• The Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources-Dhan (GOBARdhan) initiative supports biodegradablewasterecovery, conversion of waste into resources, and for creation of clean and greenvillages.
  • It is a ‘waste to wealth’ initiative wherein waste generated in villages is used to generate biogas/CBG as well as bio-slurry/bio-fertilizer.
  • It helps to promote the circular economy and Mission Lifestyle For Environment (LiFE) initiatives.

Greywater Management:

• 63% of villages have achieved greywater management.
• 65-70% of potable water used at household level in rural areas gets converted to greywater which is estimated to be 36 litres per capita per day. [SBM(G) guidelines]
• It is estimated based on the supply of 55 litres per capita of potable water under Jal Jeevan Mission.
• The greywater management is focused on the principle of 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse, and Recharge.

Strategies for greywater management:

• Sustainable and economical solutions on the site (Kitchen Garden, soak-pit, leach-pit and magic-pit).
• Technologies for greywater treatment:
  • Waste Stabilization Ponds (WSP),
  • Constructed wetland (CW),
  • Phytorid Wastewater Treatment Technology, and
  • Decentralised Waste Water Treatment System (DEWATS).

Sujlam Campaigns:

• They were launched by SBM(G) to promote management of greywater in rural areas.
• Soak pits are constructed near the source, institutions and discharge points with minimum effort and expenses.
• This led to the saturation of multiple villages with LWM and overall ODF Plus achievement of the States/UTs.

Namami Gange villages:

• The Namami Gange villages are also prioritized by mapping and fixing the treatment systems at drainage discharge points.
• Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) are maintained as per National Green Tribunal (NGT) specifications.

Faecal Sludge management:

• Twin pit toilets are recommended for in-situ treatment of liquid waste.
• A twin pit toilet looks and functions like a regular toilet, with the added benefit of converting human waste into manure.
• It is considered safe sanitation under the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and was promoted under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
• SBMG Management Information System (SBM IMS) has reported 73% Twin Pits in total about 12.4% Single pits and 11% Septic Tanks in rural households.

About Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen:

• It was launched on 2nd October 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to focus on sanitation.
• It is aimed at achieving a clean and open defecation-free (ODF) India.
• It seeks to improve the level of cleanliness in rural areas through Solid and Liquid Waste Management.
• SBM Phase II has the ambitious target of making all villages ODF Plus by 2025.
• Components of the SBM (G) Phase-II: Sustaining Open Defecation Free Status (ODF-S), Solid (Bio-degradable) Waste Management, Plastic Waste Management (PWM), Liquid Waste Management (LWM), Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), GOBARdhan, Information Education and Communication/Behavior Change Communication (IEC/BCC) and Capacity Building.

Ref: Source