New Delhi, Aug 19 : Nearly eight years after its inception, Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G) the flagship program of the Union government, reached a new milestone -of of 1,01,462 villages claiming themselves to be ODF (open defecation-free) plus.These villages are keeping their ODF status and have systems in place to manage liquid and solid waste, and they will continue their journey to improve sanitation in the effort to make their villages greener, cleaner and healthier.
Eight years ago the Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Mission from the ramparts of the Red Fort, with a plan to transform the country into an ODF in honor of Mahatma Gandhi on the 150th anniversary of his birth.
According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, one lakh ODF plus villages is not a small feat considering the fact that the method of liquid and solid waste management is a technical in nature, and relatively novel in the rural areas of India and is a second-generation problem.
The Ministry said that the supply of toilets has resulted in the necessity of tackling the faecal waste.With the advent of portable water supply increasing the amount of greywater produced that must be reused and treated and with lifestyle changes and the increasing use of packaged food items, the threat of plastic waste is beginning to rear its ugly head in rural areas and requires effective management.
“And this is the second stage of the SBM-G is all about — to properly manage all kinds of trash that won’t just keep our villages cleaner and tidy, but also create avenues to generate cash for rural households and generating new opportunities for livelihoods, while meeting the requirements of Sustainable Development Goals,” Ministers said.
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