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Hans India
5 days ago
- Health
- Hans India
Swachh Bharat Mission: India's sanitation drive shows strong gains
New Delhi: India's sanitation landscape continues to evolve under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), with significant infrastructure gains across both rural and urban areas. According to a written reply in the Lok Sabha given by Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, the country has constructed over 11.9 crore individual household latrines (IHHLs) and 2.6 lakh community sanitary complexes (CSCs) under SBM-Grameen since 2014. Uttar Pradesh leads with more than 2.5 crore IHHLs, followed by Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. In urban areas, SBM-Urban and its second phase have added 63.78 lakh household toilets and 6.36 lakh public and community toilet seats, with Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh among the top contributors. However, the report highlights persistent challenges in maintaining community facilities. Many CSCs suffer from poor upkeep due to unclear ownership, lack of dedicated funds, and limited awareness. Despite this, Gram Panchayats in several states are innovating—linking toilets to local businesses and conducting awareness campaigns to improve sustainability. The government has released substantial Central funds to support sanitation efforts -- Rs 28,849 crore in 2014–15 under SBM-G, peaking at Rs 21,629 crore in 2018–19, and Rs 3,622 crore in 2024–25. SBM-U has seen Rs 1,892 crore released in 2024–25, with additional allocations under the revised SNA-Sparsh model. The Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2023–24 survey, covering over 17,000 villages and 2.6 lakh households, found that 95.1 per cent of rural households have access to toilets, while 78.7 per cent have arrangements for greywater disposal. Yet, only 39.9 per cent segregate waste, and 29.4 per cent of villages have proper waste storage sheds. In terms of infrastructure, 61.4 per cent of Plastic Waste Management Units (PWMUs) and 58.5 per cent of GOBARdhan biogas plants were found functional. Urban sanitation surveys show that 4,692 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are certified ODF, with 1,973 achieving ODF++ status and 214 certified Water+. The government aims to sustain ODF status and promote solid and liquid waste management under SBM-G Phase II. Financial assistance of up to Rs 60 per capita is available for villages under 5,000 population, and Rs 45 for larger ones. Each block is expected to have at least one PWMU, with Rs 16 lakh allocated per unit. The mission's next phase will focus on behaviour change, technological innovation, and inclusive sanitation planning to ensure long-term impact.
News18
22-07-2025
- General
- News18
80% villages have achieved ODF plus model status: C R Patil
Agency: PTI Last Updated: New Delhi, Jul 22 (PTI) About 80 per cent of the country's villages have achieved the 'ODF plus model' status, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil announced on Tuesday. In a post on X, Patil said the 'milestone" reflects the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission and the transformative power of grassroots governance in building clean villages. 'Under the visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister @narendramodi Sir, India has achieved a historic milestone, 80% of our villages are now ODF Plus Model villages," he said. 'This is not just a statistic; it reflects the strength of janbhagidari, the success of Swachh Bharat Mission and the transformative power of grassroots governance in building clean, healthy, and sustainable villages," he added. The minister called on the people to continue on the path of 'Swachhata (cleanliness) to Sampannata (prosperity)." The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), also celebrating the achievement on social media, said the ODF plus model villages go beyond eliminating open defecation. These villages are also managing solid and liquid waste effectively and displaying visible cleanliness along with Swachhata-themed messaging, it said on X. An ODF plus model village is one that sustains its open defecation-free (ODF) status while ensuring effective waste management systems are in place, marking a deeper and more sustainable level of sanitation progress. This milestone is a part of Phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), which was launched in 2020 to focus on sustaining ODF status and improving sanitation and waste management in rural India. PTI UZM RHL (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 22, 2025, 13:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How Rishikesh Pandey's music propelled Indore's Swachh anthems
Indore: The infectious rhythm of "Ho Halla!", Indore's iconic Swachhata Anthem, is a familiar sound echoing through the streets as door-to-door garbage collection vehicles pass by. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Bollywood sensation Sonu Nigam is often credited for its popularisation, the creative force behind this and many other cleanliness awareness jingles is Rishikesh Pandey, better known as Rishiking. Beyond just writing and composing these melodic tunes, Pandey also lent his voice to most of these impactful anthems for Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Raipur, and Madhya Pradesh. Pandey, who began his career as a private tutor in his hometown of Panna, first showcased his musical talent by reimagining the "School Chale Hum" song for the Madhya Pradesh govt in 2016. The song was meant to increase the literacy rate by encouraging children to attend schools. Rishiking's musical contributions have been instrumental in fostering behavioural changes and promoting cleanliness. Key songs in this series include 'Vaanar Sena', which was released in 2016 to discourage open defecation. This song played a crucial role in helping Indore achieve its ODF (Open Defecation Free) tag. "Ho Halla!" and "Hai Halla, Hai Halla!", released in 2017, became the signature anthems resonating across the city. For Indore, his songs "Ho Halla Again" (2018), "Hatrick Lagayenge!" (2019), and "Chauka Lagayenge!" (2020) marked Indore's consistency in maintaining the country's cleanest city tag for many years. "Halla Bol, Aathvi Baar!" (2024), the latest anthem, celebrated Indore's seventh consecutive triumph, which just increased with the 'Super Swachh League' win this year. Rishiking's influence extends beyond Indore. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He also penned and composed anthems for the state of Madhya Pradesh, including "Jai Madhya Pradesh" (2018) and "Mera Madhya Pradesh, Swachh Madhya Pradesh" (2019). For Bhopal, his songs "Swachhata Ki Rajdhani, Bhopal" (2019) and "Mera Bhopal, Meri Jimmedari" (2020) became the capital's cleanliness anthems. Additionally, he wrote "Mor Raipur" (2019) for Chhattisgarh's capital and "Jai Jai Jabalpur (Swachhata Ki Lahar Chali)" in 2020. The popularity of these anthems has been boosted by the voices of renowned singers, including not just Sonu Nigam, but also Shaan, Javed Ali, Dev Negi, Payal Dev, and Shankar Mahadevan. "Cleanliness is not a compulsion, but its necessity," Pandey told TOI. "The cities that brought about the required behavioural changes in their citizens managed to set high standards in cleanliness, and I am happy to contribute to this mission through my songs and music. " "I am very fortunate that my words in all these songs became very popular," he said. "From children to seniors, they know every word and follow it, thus making these songs Swachhata Anthems."
Time of India
19-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Himanta lauds GMC for Swachh Sarvekshan feat
Guwahati: Assam chief minister on Saturday lauded Guwahati Municipal Corporation's (GMC) efforts behind the city's gradual upscale in the cleanliness category in Swachh Sarvekshan 2024-25. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The award was presented on Thursday at a national ceremony held in New Delhi, and was received by GMC mayor Mrigen Sarania, in the presence of senior dignitaries and representatives from urban local bodies across the country. Securing the 44th rank in the nationwide competition, conducted by the ministry of housing and urban affairs, was a significant jump from last year's 402 nd position. The city also earned certifications for 'ODF+' (open defecation free plus) and GFC (garbage free city) one star status, for which the CM lauded the officials, sanitation workers and citizens for their collective efforts in promoting urban hygiene. "Guwahati's progress, under the Swachh Bharat Mission reflects Assam's broader development vision, driven by inclusion and people centric governance," Sarma said. Newly appointed GMC commissioner MS Lakshmi Priya, who along with Jayanta Mallabaruah and the entire team, apprising the CM about the city's national achievement, expressed gratitude for the continued guidance and support of state govt. She said that the recognition is a result of coordinated action, public participation, and the tireless commitment of workforce.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Unclean public toilets upset Trichy's gains
Trichy: Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, the national cleanliness ranking done by the Union govt, has placed Trichy in 49th spot among 95 cities participating in the 'big cities' category (population of 3-10 lakh). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While Trichy retained the state's cleanest city tag in the category by scoring 8,239 marks, the overall state-level rank based on scores has slipped from '1' in the previous survey to '2' now. Coimbatore, which participated in the million plus population category, secured 8,347 marks and climbed to the top spot. Low scores in cleanliness of public toilets and source segregation of waste were blamed for Trichy's slide. Out of a total 12,500 marks, the survey earmarked 10,000 marks for 10 sections and 54 indicators including visible cleanliness, segregation and transportation of waste, access to sanitation, and citizen feedback. While Trichy scored full marks in remediation of dump sites, cleanliness of residential areas, cleanliness of market areas, and cleanliness of water bodies, the city did not score any marks in cleanliness of public toilets and only 14% marks in source segregation. Door-to-door waste collection has earned 70% marks for the city, despite the civic body outsourcing waste management. Despite scoring high marks in categories such as waste processing where several other participant cities scored low, nil mark secured by Trichy in upkeep of public toilets has helped other cities steal a march over it. Thus far, Trichy remained undisputed leader as state's cleanest city irrespective of the category. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Meanwhile, in the certification category for which 2,500 marks were assigned, Trichy secured ODF++ (Open Defecation Free) certification. This means that all community toilets are functioning and well-maintained, and sewage is not dumped in open drains. In Garbage Free City (GFC) category, which assesses cities for construction and demolition (C&D) waste management, no major TN cities including Trichy and Coimbatore scored marks out of 1,300 marks. Trichy corporation officials have expressed shock at the scores awarded in maintenance of public toilets. The city has around 400 public and community toilets maintained by SHGs. They wondered how the city could get zero in cleanliness of public toilets after being certified as ODF++. "We registered our disappointment for the scores in maintenance of public toilets and sought re-evaluation. Perhaps data could have been wrongly uploaded, we are awaiting a positive response," an official source said.
