Lok Sabha Question No. 170 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-09
Subject: Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Rattan Lal Kataria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO.*170 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.12.2021

## SWACHH BHARAT MISSION (GRAMEEN)

| †*170. SHRI RATTAN LAL KATARIA:                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
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| Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the country has gained social, economic and health benefits after the success of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) launched by the Government on 2 nd October, 2014; |
| (b) if so, the details thereof;                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| (c) the standards of cleanliness under the said mission; and                                                                                                                                                                        |
| (d) the steps being taken by the Government to continue the progress of the said mission?                                                                                                                                           |
| ANSWER                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)                                                                                                                                                                          |
| (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.                                                                                                                                                                           |

## Statement referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.170 due for reply on 09.12.2021.

(a) to (b)    Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] was launched by the Government on 2 nd October, 2014, with the main aim to make the country Open Defecation Free (ODF) by  2 nd October,  2019,  by  providing  access  to  toilets  to  all  the  rural  households  of  the country.  During the period of five years from 2014 to 2019, more than 10 crore individual household latrines were constructed under the SBM(G).  As a result, all the villages in the country  declared  themselves  ODF  by  2 nd October,  2019.    Studies  undertaken  by  some international  and UN  organisations have  observed  noticeable gains towards  social, economic and health benefits due to successful implementation of the programme.  The gist of some of them is indicated below:

- (i) A  UNICEF  study  titled  ' The  Financial  and  Economic Impact  of  Swachh  Bharat Mission in India' released in 2017 estimated that a household in an ODF village in India saves Rs.50,000 every year.
- (ii) A  WHO  Study  titled 'Swachh  Bharat  Mission  -  Preliminary  estimations  of potential  health  impacts  from  increased  sanitation  coverage' released  in  2018, estimated  that  SBM(G)  would  result  in  averting  more  than  3,00,000  deaths (diarrhoea and protein-energy malnutrition) between 2014 and October 2019.
- (iii) A  study  undertaken  jointly  by  UNICEF  and  Bill  and  Melinda  Gates  Foundation (BMGF) in February, 2020 titled 'Access to toilets and the safety, convenience and self-respect  of  women  in  rural  India' ,  observed  that  the  increased  access  to household  toilets  has  led  to  the  improvement  in  the  Suvidha  (convenience), Suraksha (safety) and Swabhimaan (self-respect) of women in rural India.  By not going out in the open to defecate, 93% women feel safer.

Successful implementation of SBM (G) has also been able to enhance capacity of Gram Panchayats  to  plan  and  implement  development  programmes,  especially  sanitation  and hygiene  related  programmes,  and  increase  dignity  and  convenience  for  women  and adolescent girls by providing them toilets at home.

(c) & (d)   All villages have become ODF.  Having achieved the outcomes of ODF, Phase-2 of SBM (G) is now being implemented to support the villages to sustain the ODF status and to make solid and liquid waste management arrangements by 2024-25, i.e. to convert the villages from ODF to ODF Plus.

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