Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Is The Need Of The Hour

Swachh Bharat Mission, a program as clean as the name suggests with good intentions and clear benefits has now come a long way from its inception by the government on October 2, 2014, to eradicate open defecation and provide 100 percent access to toilets by 2019.

It is claimed to be “the largest behavior change campaign ever attempted in the field of sanitation in the world” and was introduced as two sub-missions — Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and Swachh Bharat Urban.

While the SBM Gramin enhances cleanliness levels by making rural areas Open Defecation Free, the SBM Urban aimed at eradicating open defecation and achieving 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste.

This mission has made Indian cities compete with each other for the most coveted ‘cleanest cities’ award. In 2020, Indore has been leading the nation to show how cities can be kept clean. This is a wake-up call for cities like Delhi where garbage corners continue to create a mess. And similar successful policies need to be emulated by other cities as well.

Swacch Bharat Mission is still the need of the hour as it is imperative to devise a robust mechanism to keep India clean. Be it an initiative to “say no to single-use plastic” or ban crackers, there is still a need to establish a corporate and civic partnership that could develop and promote national cleanliness ethics. Introducing a voluntary national effort to increase recycling in the workplace, in government and private offices is useful in promoting recycling of waste and discouraging people to use single-use plastic.

As you know that litter prevention is still a big menace in India, an independent body purely focused on this cause can surely do wonders.

The urban municipalities and residents’ welfare associations in cities would benefit hugely if such systems are put in place. Such measures can facilitate creating clean community systems responsible for keeping neighborhoods clean.

More than the construction of thousands of toilets by giant companies as their CSR activity, t is the behavioral change in people that will make the difference. And a more holistic approach towards it is also being looked up to.

In India, while adults grossly violate civic norms and rules, children are expected to raise awareness on vital matters of social change. Instead of schools, it is the workplace where the efforts must be undertaken for the longer-term success of India’s cleanliness program.

We know how tourism adds to the economy and adds to employment. A genuine effort at hygiene and sanitation can bring about a paradigm shift in the country’s global perception so this movement has to be an ongoing process that is practiced by each one of us every day irrespective of sections, regions, or cultures we belong to.

This pandemic has taught us but one thing is that each small effort goes a long way in building a safe home for us on this planet earth. So, we must practice this mission in our way every day and all the time, to reach the true goal of beautiful India.