Jal Shakti Ministry Launches 100-Day Campaign To Create More Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus Villages

New Delhi: The Jal Shakti Ministry started a 100-day campaign — Sujalam — as part of the ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ on Wednesday (August 25) to create more ODF plus villages by undertaking wastewater management at the village level. The effort of the campaign would be directed towards achieving the Open Defecation Free (ODF) plus status for villages across the country in an accelerated manner in a short time, the ministry said. “The campaign has started from today, August 25 2021, and will continue to run for the next 100 days,” it said.

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The aim of the 100-day campaign is to create more and more ODF plus villages by undertaking wastewater management at the village level particularly through the creation of one million soak-pits and also other greywater management activities, it added. The ministry said the campaign will not only build the desired infrastructure like soak pits for the management of greywater in villages but will also aid in the sustainable management of water bodies.

The disposal of wastewater and clogging of water bodies in the villages or on the outskirts of the villages remain one of the major problems. The campaign would help in the management of the wastewater and in turn, would help to revive the water bodies, it said in a statement.

Furthermore, the campaign would boost the momentum of SBMG (Swachch Bharat Mission Grameen) phase II activities through community participation and will increase awareness about ODF-plus activities. Hence ensuring long-term maintenance and sustainability of built infrastructure, the ministry said.

It would use the platform of awareness and behaviour change achieved during the first phase of the SBMG and provide a focus for sustaining the same along with achieving the visual cleanliness by the way of SLW Management, the statement said.

This campaign includes organising community consultations, ‘khuli baithaks’, and gram sabha meetings to analyse the current situation, pass a resolution to maintain ODF sustainability and achieve the needed number of soak pits to manage the greywater, develop a 100 days’ plan to undertake sustainability and soak pit construction-related activities, it said. It also includes constructing the requisite number of soak pits, retrofit toilets where needed through IEC and community mobilisation and ensure all newly emerging households in villages have access to toilets, the statement said.

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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.