Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, also known as Clean India Mission, is a country-wide campaign initiated by the Government of India in 2014 to eliminate open defecation, improve solid waste management, and create Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages. The campaign aims to achieve the vision of a Clean India by 2nd October 2019. The program also aims to increase awareness of menstrual health management. The following are some key points about Swachh Bharat Abhiyan:
- The campaign was launched on 2nd October 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi by PM Narendra Modi.
- The program is a restructured version of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan launched in 2009 that failed to achieve its intended targets.
- The campaign is beyond politics and has become a ‘Jan Andolan’ receiving tremendous support from the people.
- The campaign has become the most significant cleanliness campaign by the Government of India.
- The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is not just about constructing toilets but also about changing the mindset of people.
- The campaign aims to cover 1.04 crore households, provide 2.5 lakh community toilets, 2.6 lakh public toilets, and a solid waste management facility in each town.
- The scheme is based on the concept of rural development of Mahatma Gandhi which revolved around creating model villages for transforming swaraj (self-rule) into su-raj (good governance) .
In conclusion, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a national-level campaign initiated by the Government of India to create a clean and hygienic environment in the country. The campaign aims to eliminate open defecation, improve solid waste management, and create Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages. The program also aims to increase awareness of menstrual health management.