Swachh Bharat Mission
Swachh Bharat Swastha Sikkim
Flag off: September 25, 2014
Mahatma Gandhi had rightly said, “Sanitation is more important than Independence”. He was aware of the pathetic situation of Indian rural people at that time and he dreamt of a clean India where he emphasised on cleanliness and sanitation as an integral part of living. Unfortunately, we have completed 67 years of independence and we have only about 30% of the rural households with access to toilets.
Objectives of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
- Construction of individual, cluster and community toilets.
- To eliminate or reduce open defecation. Open defecation is one of the main causes of deaths of thousands of children each year.
- Not only latrine construction, the Swachh Bharat Mission will also make an initiative of establishing an accountable mechanism of monitoring latrine use.
- Public awareness will also be provided about the drawbacks of open defecation and promotion of latrine use.
- Proper, dedicated ground staff will be recruited to bring about behavioural change and promotion of latrine use.
- For proper sanitation use, the mission will aim at changing people’s attitudes, mindsets and behaviours.
- To keep villages clean.
- Solid and liquid waste management through gram panchayats.
- To lay water pipelines in all villages, ensuring water supply to all households by 2019.
Sikkim: MONTH LONG SANITATION AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ORGANISED FROM 25TH SEPTEMBER 2014
The inaugural function saw handing of zero waste transport vehicles to the Solid Liquid Waste Management projects of Namthang, Lachen and Tashiding; flagging- off of mountain bike rally with the message of Swachh Bharat; launching of a waste station followed by a rally of the school students.
The programme also included inauguration of e-waste collection centre at Gangtok Manicipal Corporation during the month long event besides management of paper waste of the government offices as raw material at Directorate of Handicrafts & Handlooms.
The month-long event percolated down to the Gram Panchayat level and activities included visit cum awareness campaign at vulnerable areas, clean up drive at offices, schools, public places, workshop, symposiums and various competition amongst the students.
The Government of India is committed to achieving Swachh Bharat status by October 2, 2019, coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The key to changing the grim sanitation situation in the country is to change the mindset of the people, which is possible only if the mission is taken up as a people’s movement
Keeping this in view, it has been decided to launch ’Mission Swachh Bharat’ so as to build up the momentum of attaining Swachh Bharat and to start the people’s sanitation movement, the Government of India proposed that an extensive National Sanitation Campaign be launched on September 25.
Let’s make Swachh Bharat Abhiyan a success
The PM has rightly asserted that Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should be a combined effort of both the Government as well as the people. We hope that the Swachh Bharat Mission does not become another Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan started by the previous Government in 1999 with the same mission but was not a success.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan should not be a mere re-branding exercise. There is no doubt about the fact that change begins at home. Every citizen of the country should be clean and have hygiene and think of progress rather than waiting for the Government to make this plan successful. Let us also hope that we can change the minds of the people and focus on the real issues and not just constructing toilets.
Let us all pledge to make this mission a success…