SYLLABUS

GS-2: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Context: Launched on 2 October 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) marks 12 years of India’s sanitation transformation, from achieving ODF status to sustainable sanitation, waste management and behavioural change.

About the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 

• The SBM was launched on 2 October 2014 to achieve universal sanitation and make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2019. 

• It operates through two components: SBM-Grameen (SBM-G) for rural areas and SBM-Urban (SBM-U) for urban areas.

• SBM-G Phase I (2014–2019) focused on expanding toilet access and usage. 

• Rural sanitation coverage increased from 39% in 2014 to 100% in 2019, with more than 10 crore Individual Household Latrines constructed.
• Rural India was declared ODF on 2 October 2019.

• SBM-G Phase II (2020–21 to 2026–27) shifted the focus from achieving ODF status to sustaining ODF behaviour and achieving ODF Plus through solid and liquid waste management (SLWM), visual cleanliness and community participation.

• ODF Plus villages progress through Aspiring, Rising and Model categories.

• SBM-U 2.0, launched on 1 October 2021, seeks to make cities Garbage Free through source segregation, door-to-door collection, scientific processing of waste, safe disposal and remediation of legacy dumpsites, while continuing efforts on safe sanitation.

• It places Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) at its centre, using Swachhagrahis, community mobilisation, digital platforms and citizen feedback to make sanitation an everyday practice.

• It also uses outcome-based standards such as ODF, ODF+, ODF++, Water+ and the Star Rating Protocol for Garbage-Free Cities to assess and sustain results.

Key Achievements

• Rural ODF Plus: By September 2026, over 5.69 lakh villages achieved ODF Plus, including 5.25 lakh+ ODF Plus Model villages, with 5.38 lakh+ having solid and 5.65 lakh+ liquid waste management.

• Sanitation infrastructure: Over 12.22 crore household toilets and 98,273 biogas plants were built, including 1,314 GOBARdhan plants across 585 districts.

• Urban sanitation: SBM-U built 63.83 lakh household latrines and 6.36 lakh community/public toilet seats, exceeding mission targets.

• Urban waste management: Waste processing rose from 16% in 2014 to 81–82% in 2026, while door-to-door collection reached 97–98%.

• Health and dignity: WHO estimated nearly 3 lakh fewer diarrhoeal deaths in 2019 than in 2014, while 93% of women felt safer, 91% saved up to an hour, and 93% stopped restricting food or water intake.

Need and Significance of SBM

• Public health: Safe sanitation reduces exposure to diarrhoeal diseases, groundwater contamination and unsafe waste.

• Women’s safety and dignity: Access to toilets improves Suraksha, Suvidha and Swabhimaan by reducing risks, inconvenience and restrictions faced by women.

• Environmental sustainability: SBM has expanded from toilet construction to source segregation, solid and liquid waste management, sewage treatment, plastic-waste management and resource recovery.

• Behavioural change: SBCC, Swachhagrahis, Nigrani Samitis, Gram Sabhas and campaigns such as Swachhata Hi Seva have helped shift sanitation from an individual concern to collective responsibility.

• Inclusive and dignified sanitation: Modern public facilities increasingly incorporate women’s, children’s and persons with disabilities’ needs, while attention to SafaiMitras links sanitation with occupational safety and dignity.

Gaps or Challenges in SBM

• Sustaining ODF outcomes: ODF status needs continued toilet use, maintenance, community engagement and monitoring to prevent slippage.

• Waste segregation and collection gaps: Only 39.9% of surveyed households segregated waste, while 45% of villages had waste-collection vehicles and 29.4% had storage and segregation sheds.

• Uneven infrastructure functionality: Only 61.4% of Plastic Waste Management Units and 58.5% of GOBARdhan/biogas plants surveyed in 2023–24 were functional.

• Legacy waste management: By January 2026, 2,488 dumpsites held nearly 25 crore tonnes of legacy waste; although 62% was remediated, completing remediation and preventing new dumpsites remain challenges.

• Wastewater and faecal-sludge management: Sanitation must ensure the safe containment, transport, treatment and disposal/reuse of sewage, greywater and faecal sludge, especially in smaller urban areas.