Swachh Bharat: A Chapter of Success

Published: 2nd Jan, 2020

SBM stands out with women being at the centre of all interventions and also leading the march in many cases and reclaiming dignity and empowerment in the process. Women in rural hinterland not only ventured out for discussing sanitation and convincing rest of the folks, they moved a step ahead by staking claim in men-dominated masonary work.
They took up the name of 'Rani Mistris' by constructing toilets, now affectionately called 'Izzat Ghar' or Dignity Home in many parts of the country.
Children and youth volunteered in a big way by inculcating Swachhata in behaviour and volunteered for Swachhata Shramdaan in mobilisation campaigns. School children have been the visible change agents at many places with their demands cries of "Mujhe Shauchalay Chahiye" triggering a sense of urgency among parents and school management alike.
The success story of Swachh Bharat Mission is not complete without underline mention of the Information Education and Communication (IEC) interventions which constituted the heart of the programme. About 4.5 lakhs swachhagrahis led the inter-personal communication across household in the village holding forth the community –level narratives on sanitation and the needs for Swachhata.
Mass media campaigns like Darwaza Band and Shaucha Singh captured the imagination and thought process of the common people. Campaigns like 'Swachhata Hi Seva', ‘Satyagraha se Swachhagraha', Chalo Champaran' and 'Swachh Shakti' Stand out as great examples of social mobilisation for the cause of sanitations.

Economic Benefits From Swacch Bharat Mission

A WHO 2018 study had estimated that over 3 lakh lives will be saved by 2019 when India turn ODF. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in a study conducted in 2017 reported that non –ODF areas have around 44% higher cases of diarrhea among children.
IMF 2017-18 Gender Equality study indicated approximately 10% reduction in time spent by women in household and child care and 1.5% increase in women participation in the workforce.

Case Study: Peddapalli District in Telangana

The case of Peddapalli District in Telangana, which was recently conferred the top honours for cleanliness, points to the multi-dimensional nature of the sanitation task. The district is free of any open sewerage or drainage besides having constructed a large number of segregated communication toilets for all.
The district has been practicing Swachh Shukravar (clean Friday) when all government employees, irrespective of rank and grade, join the villagers in the morning to clean up, build sanitation facilities and plant trees.