India’s Sanitation Revolution: Swachh Bharat Mission Delivers Remarkable Progress

India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), launched in 2014, continues to make substantial strides in transforming the nation’s sanitation landscape. This ambitious campaign, aiming for universal sanitation coverage and hygiene improvement, has evolved into a sustainable movement reshaping public health and cleanliness across urban and rural India.

 

Key Highlights of the Swachh Bharat Mission

 

• Open Defecation Free Milestone: By late 2019, India achieved a nationwide open defecation free (ODF) status, following the construction of over 10 crore toilets for households, schools, and public places, drastically reducing sanitation-related health risks.

• Sustaining Gains through ODF Plus: The mission’s current phase emphasizes maintaining ODF status with a focus on cleanliness, waste management, and behavioural change. Over 5.6 lakh villages have declared themselves ODF Plus, showcasing active engagement in hygiene upkeep.

• Waste Management Initiatives: Approximately 5 lakh villages now implement solid and liquid waste management systems, addressing challenges of scientific waste disposal and environmental protection.

• Urban Sanitation and Competitiveness: The Swachh Survekshan survey promotes accountability and improvement by benchmarking sanitation services across cities. The revamped framework allows equitable competition among cities of all sizes, fostering innovation and transparency.

• Investment and Innovation: With ongoing government support, including a budget exceeding ₹12,000 crores for 2025, SBM integrates initiatives such as the Swachhata Green Leaf Rating and educational campaigns to embed cleanliness awareness from grassroots levels upward.

 

Strategic Impact and Future Directions

 

Swachh Bharat Mission’s success is pivotal in advancing India’s Sustainable Development Goals, enhancing quality of life, and reducing disease transmission. 

 

Upcoming programs like the Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation aim to reclaim urban spaces rapidly, while SBM’s vision aligns with India’s long-term development goals toward making the country cleaner and healthier by 2047.

 

Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Jal Shakti