New Delhi: A parliamentary panel has recommended a law to penalise those found spitting, urinating and throwing garbage in public places, a move aimed at providing a “legal backing” to the government’s ambitious Swachh Bharat Mission. The panel has also advocated introducing a chapter on SBM programme in the school syllabus up to primary standard to cultivate cleanliness habits in students. The committee’s report on subordinate legislation on rules/regulations governing the implementation of SBM, a flagship programme of the Modi government, in urban and rural areas, was presented to Lok Sabha on Monday.
In its report, the committee said it was of the firm opinion that merely bringing in behavioural change and self-regulation may not be sufficient and a central law to enforce the cleanliness drive will help the purpose.
Also Read: West Bengal Citizens May Have To Pay Up To Rs. 1 Lakh Fine For Littering, Spitting In Public Places
It stated the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, which is mandated to implement the mission in urban areas of the country, agree that there is a necessity to make a nationwide legislation on SBM to ensure and enforce the desired level of cleanliness. The panel said in the report,
The committee, therefore, recommends that the government should bring a comprehensive model legislation covering all objectives of SBM and providing a legal backing to the SBM under which municipalities can punish those found spitting, urinating and throwing garbage in public places,
Apart from this, it has also recommended inclusion of Swachh Bharat Mission in school curriculum. It further stated,
It is essential that there should be a chapter in the school curriculum up to 8th standard to educate children about the need of a clean and neat environment and how to prevent spreading of pollution and the effects of diseases…
Schoolchildren can be educated through chapters in their books, power-point presentation and practical demonstration by teachers.
Also Read: Maharashtra To Impose Fines For Open Defecation, Spitting, Littering
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
Vahini
March 15, 2019 at 10:31 am
This is a highly welcome move. Unfortunately, trying to guide people is not sufficient at all when dealing with a huge population with varying levels of awareness.
Lets impose strict fines (like in other parts of the world) and you will see a big difference in the adoption of swacch bharat abhiyaan