Swachh Bharat Mission achieves its urban target

On December 23, 2019, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced that urban areas of 35 states have been declared Open Defecation Free. It includes 4,167 cities. The target has been achieved through third party verification.

Highlights

According to the ministry, the target has been achieved by constructing 65.81 lakh househols toilets as against the target of 59 lakhs. In order to achieve the target, the ministry had launched ODF+ and ODF++ protocols. The ministry also launched Water+ protocol to make sure that no untreated waste water is discharged into water bodies.

How was the target achieved?

The Ministry partnered with Google and mapped all the public toilets for ease of access to citizens. Today around 2,300 cities have more than 57,000 public toilets mapped on google maps.

With Star Rating Protocol the ministry streamlines solid waste management in cities. With door to door garbage collection and garbage processing and waste recycling methods, today more than 57 cities have been rated as 3-star cities and 4-cities (Indore, Ambikapur, Mysuru and Navi Mumbai) have been rated 5-star cities.

Plastic management in the cities were also streamlined complying with Plastic Management rules. 

The ministry is currently working with 46 cement plants where the plastic wastes can be sent directly for recycling and reusage.

Operating ministries

The Swachh Bharat Mission for urban areas is being implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The mission for rural areas is being implemented by Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. The rural areas of India were declared Open Defecation Free on October 2, 2019. PM Modi declared rural India ODF during his address at 150^th birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2019