Lok Sabha Question No. 136 (STARRED), answered on 2025-02-13
Subject: ODF under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen: Phase-II
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Dina Patil, Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.136 ANSWERED ON 13.02.2025

## ODF UNDER SWACHH BHARAT MISSION GRAMEEN: PHASE-II

## *136. Shri Sanjay Dina Patil: Prof. Varsha Eknath Gaikwad:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  criteria  for  declaring  a  village  Open  Defecation  Free  (ODF)  Plus  under SBM-G Phase-II has been defined and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the details of the total number of villages declared ODF under Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen: Phase-II in the State of Maharashtra have been reported and if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  involve  Self-Help  Groups  (SHGs)  in  the implementation of SBM-G Phase-II and if so, the specific roles assigned to them;
- (d) whether the measures have been taken to ensure the sustainability of Open Defecation Free status in rural areas under SBM-G Phase-II and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether any technology is being used to improve the implementation of SBM-G PhaseII;
- (f)  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  technologies  adopted  for  monitoring,  waste management and awareness generation;
- (g) whether any independent evaluations of the scheme have been conducted; and
- (h) if so, the findings of such evaluations and steps taken to address the shortcomings, if any?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI (SHRI C R PATIL)

- (a) to (h) : A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## Statement referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No.136 due for reply on 13.02.2025

(a) : The specific criteria and process being used to declare a village as Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus in SBM-G Phase-II are as under:-

An ODF Plus village is defined as a village which sustains its Open Defecation Free (ODF) Status,  ensures  solid  and  liquid  waste  management  and  is  visually  clean.  There  are  3 progressive stages of ODF Plus villages:

- ODF  Plus  Aspiring :  A  Village  which  is  sustaining  its  ODF  status  and  has arrangements for Solid Waste Management OR Liquid Waste Management.
- ODF Plus Rising : A village which is sustaining its ODF status and has arrangements for BOTH Solid Waste Management and Liquid Waste Management.
- ODF Plus Model : A village which is sustaining its ODF status and has arrangements for both Solid Waste Management and Liquid Waste Management; observes visual cleanliness, i.e., minimal litter, minimal stagnant wastewater, no plastic waste dump in public places; and displays ODF Plus Information, Education & Communication (IEC) messages.

A village that has met all the ODF Plus criteria will self-declare themselves ODF Plus at a Gram  Sabha  meeting.  The  District  must  ensure  mandatory  third-party  verification  of  a village, within 90 days of ODF Plus declaration for the first time. The mandatory third party verification will be undertaken for ODF Plus (Model) villages only. However, supervisory verification  may  be  done  for  the  ODF  Plus  villages  across  all  the  three  categories (Aspiring/Rising/Model) by the officers responsible in chain of command at Block/District/State levels.

(b)  : Total 37,583 villages have been declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus (Aspiring8,574, Rising-196, Model-28,813) in Maharashtra as on 10.2.2025.

(c) :  As per Guidelines of Phase-II of SBM-G, Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have a catalytic role in the implementation of SBM (G) in the rural areas. They can be considered for active involvement in the Information Education and Communication activities including in triggering leading to demand generation, in capacity building, assistance in construction and ensuring sustained use of sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion.

(d)  :  Sanitation  is  State  subject,  Department  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  provides Financial  &  technical  support  to  States.  Phase  II  of  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Grameen) [SBM(G)] is being implemented during the period from 2020-21 to 2025-26, with the focus on Open Defecation Free (ODF) sustainability and to cover all the villages with solid and liquid  waste  management  i.e.  converting  the  villages  from  ODF  to  ODF  Plus  (Model). Realising that the task of constructing toilets is a continuous process and not a one time activity, as there are continuously new emerging households, migrant households etc. which will require Toilets, construction of new Individual House Hold Latrines (IHHLs) continues to be the first charge on SBM(G) funds under Phase-II of SBM(G) and states are advised continuously to plan for the left out toilets and address this gap on priority. State has prepared Operation & Maintenance (O & M) Policy.

(e) & (f) :  A web based Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) has been put in place  for  capturing  the  progress  of  IHHLs,  CSCs  and  SLWM  activities  taken  up  by  the districts,  blocks,  GPs  under  SBM(G),  through  a  Mobile  App.  All  the  household  and community  level  assets  constructed  under  the  programme  are  geo-tagged  through  two Mobile Apps - (i) SBM for IHHL geotagging and (ii) SBM 2.0 for CSCs and SLWM assets reporting.  Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC)  plays  pivotal  role  fostering behavioural change and advancing the mission's objectives. Anchored in the spirit of Jan Andolan (people's movement), the approach transcended conventional boundaries, orchestrating a 360-degree communication approach to ensure the programmatic gains made under the SBM(G) Phase I are sustained and we move to the objectives of Phase II.

(g)  &  (h)  :  Department  of  Drinking  Water  and  Sanitation  (DDWS)  conducts  Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) through a third-party survey agency to carry out the assessment of household sanitation parameters, including Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), biodegradable  and  non-biodegradable  waste  management,  and  Grey  Water  Management (GWM).  As part of the SSG, States/UTs are ranked on the basis of their performance attained on key quantitative and qualitative Swachhata parameters. The SSG 2023-24 Survey covered 17,304  villages  in  729  Districts  across  India  and  85,901  public  places  namely  schools, anganwadis, public health centres, haat/bazaars/religious places etc. in these 17,304 villages. Around 2,60,059 Households were interviewed for their feedback on SBM(G) related issues. The findings of the SSG 2023-24 were shared with States/UTs for taking remedial measures.

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