Swachhata Hi Seva’ movement

•  ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ movement has been launched across the country on September 15, 2018.
• This movement will ensure the aims to ensure a high standard of cleanliness across the country, which was Mahatma Gandhi’s dream for the nation.

About the campaign:

• The campaign is being coordinated by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the convening Ministry for the Swachh Bharat Mission.
• The objective of the campaign is to mobilise people and reinforce the “Jan Aandolan” for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of a Clean India.
• It will see large scale mobilisation of people from all walks of life to undertake shramdaan for cleanliness and construction of toilets and to make their environments free from open defecation. There will be targeted cleaning of public and tourist places.
• Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has made elaborate plans along with the State Governments to involve people from various walks of life and make this an unprecedented people’s campaign.
• Reaching out to the poor and marginalised and providing them with sustainable sanitation services would be the hallmark of this campaign.

About Swachh Bharat:

• The Abhiyan was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 2nd of October, 2014 at Rajghat, New Delhi with an aim to make India clean.
• Its main aim is to provide sanitation facilities to every family, including toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and safe and adequate drinking water supply by 2nd October, 2019.
• It will be a befitting tribute to the Father of the Nation on his 150th birth anniversary.
• However, it has been clearly declared that the campaign is not only the duty of the Government but each and every citizen of the country is equally responsible to keep the nation clean or swachh.
• Construction of household toilets has been identified as one of the major focus area since 53% households in the country don't have toilet facilities, according to 2011 Census. The situation is far worse in rural areas where 69.3% rural homes have no such facility. Over 78% of rural households in states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan, Odisha and Chhattisgarh don't have toilets.

By: Vishal