World Bank recalls paper on decline in toilet usage in India

Subject : Govt Schemes

Section: Places in news

Context:

World Bank published a departmental working paper highlighting the “most concerning” trend of toilet usage declining in rural India since 2018 despite early gains of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin.

What is Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G)?

It was launched in 2014 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation.
The mission was implemented as a nation-wide campaign/Janandolan which aimed at eliminating open defecation in rural areas.

Swachh Bharat Mission (G) Phase-I:

The rural sanitation coverage in the country at the time of launch of SBM (G) on 2nd October, 2014 was reported as 38.7%.
More than 10 crore individual toilets have been constructed since the launch of the mission, as a result, rural areas in all the States have declared themselves ODF as on 2nd October, 2019.

SBM(G) Phase-II:

It emphasizes the sustainability of achievements under phase I and to provide adequate facilities for Solid/Liquid & plastic Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India.
It will be implemented from 2020-21 to 2024-25 in a mission mode with a total outlay of Rs. 1,40,881 crores.
The SLWM component of ODF Plus will be monitored on the basis of output-outcome indicators for 4 key areas:
Plastic waste management,
Biodegradable solid waste management (including animal waste management),
Greywater (Household Wastewater) management
Fecal sludge management.

Top Performing States:

The top five performing states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh where maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.

What is the Significance of Swachh Bharat Mission?

It will continue to generate employment and provide impetus to the rural economy through construction of household toilets and community toilets, as well as infrastructure for SLWM such as compost pits, soak pits, waste stabilisation ponds, material recovery facilities etc.
It will also help rural India effectively handle the challenge of solid and liquid waste management and will help in substantial improvement in the health of the villagers in the country.

What is Open Defecation Free Status?

ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any point of the day, not even a single person is found defecating in the open.
ODF+: This status is given if at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained.
ODF++: This status is given if the area is already ODF+ and the faecal sludge/septage and sewage are safely managed and treated, with no discharging or dumping of untreated faecal sludge and sewage into the open drains, water bodies or areas.

What are the Schemes as part of SBM?

GOBAR-DHAN (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources) Scheme: Launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2018 and aims to augment income of farmers by converting biodegradable waste into compressed biogas (CBG).
Individual Household Latrines (IHHL): Individuals get around 15 thousand for the construction of toilets.
Swachh Vidyalaya Abhiyan: The Ministry of Education launched the Swachh Vidyalaya Programme with an objective to provide separate toilets for boys and girls in all government schools within one year.