INDIA HAS made substantial progress in creating infrastructure for water supply and sanitation over the past decade. At present, as many as five schemes and programmes are being undertaken nationally in mission mode to sustain the country's recently achieved open defecation free (ODF) status, ensure solid and liquid waste management, keep the rivers clean, conserve water for the future and supply drinking water to every house. These include Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Mission Amrit Sarovar, Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). Their successful implementation can help the country reach the UN's Sustainable Development Goal on safe water and sanitation by the target year of 2030.
Researchers from Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) travelled the length and breadth of the country to assess the performance and implementation of some of the schemes at the ground level. There are good and bad stories. Let's start with Swachh Bharat MissionGramin (SBM-G), whose objective is to achieve universal sanitation coverage, sustain it and improve the level of cleanliness in villages.
About 114.5 million toilets have been built under SBM-G since the launch of the mission in 2014, as per government data released in February 2024. Under SBM, the government has promoted construction of toilets with dual-pit honeycomb structure. In this structure, one pit gets filled at a time. Once it is filled, the toilet is connected to another pit. While the second pit gets filled, the sludge in the first pit gets degraded into manure that can be directly reused in fields.
Denne historien er fra June 01, 2024-utgaven av Down To Earth.
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Denne historien er fra June 01, 2024-utgaven av Down To Earth.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
