Swachh Bharat Mission in Delhi India

Swachh Bharat Mission

play a critical role in the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), India’s national cleanliness drive aimed at promoting sanitation, waste management, and hygiene across the country. Launched in 2014 by the Government of India, the Swachh Bharat Mission’s primary goal is to eliminate open defecation, improve solid waste management, and promote cleanliness and hygiene in urban and rural areas. Apeksh Trust contribute to SBM by supporting implementation, raising awareness, and ensuring community involvement.

Here are some of the key roles that NGOs play in the Swachh Bharat Mission:

  1. Raising Awareness and Advocacy
  • Community Outreach Programs: Apeksh Trust conduct awareness campaigns to educate communities about the importance of sanitation, the dangers of open defecation, and the health benefits of proper hygiene practices. They use various methods, including workshops, street plays, social media campaigns, and door-to-door visits to spread the message of cleanliness.
  • Promoting Behavioral Change: Changing long-standing sanitation habits in rural and urban areas requires significant cultural transformation. Apeksh Trust work closely with communities to address behavioral and social norms around sanitation and hygiene, promoting sustainable habits like regular handwashing, using toilets, and maintaining clean surroundings.
  • Advocacy for Policy Support: Apeksh Trust actively engage in advocacy to support the policies of SBM, calling for greater government investment in sanitation infrastructure, rural toilets, and waste management systems, and ensuring that sanitation is recognized as a priority issue at the local and national levels.
  1. Supporting Toilet Construction and Infrastructure
  • Construction of Toilets: Apeksh Trust contribute to the physical infrastructure aspect of SBM by working alongside local governments and communities to build individual household latrines (IHHL), public toilets, and community toilets, especially in rural areas. They may help design, fund, or construct toilets, ensuring they are accessible, hygienic, and culturally appropriate.
  • Ensuring Sustainability: Apeksh Trust help ensure that constructed toilets are maintained by involving communities in the management of sanitation facilities, ensuring long-term functionality. They may also facilitate the formation of local committees to oversee the upkeep of community toilets.
  • Innovative Solutions: In some areas, especially where water resources are scarce or technical challenges exist, Apeksh Trust work on innovative sanitation solutions like low-cost, waterless toilets, or eco-friendly toilets that promote sustainability and environmental protection.
  1. Waste Management and Segregation
  • Solid Waste Management (SWM): Apeksh Trust actively contribute to improving waste management practices, focusing on waste segregation at source, recycling, and composting. They educate communities about separating wet and dry waste, reducing plastic usage, and managing household waste effectively.
  • Cleaning Campaigns: Apeksh Trust organize community-led cleanliness drives, beach clean-ups, and waste collection initiatives. They may also collaborate with local municipal corporations to ensure proper waste disposal and contribute to the cleanliness of public spaces, streets, and neighbourhoods.
  • Public Awareness Campaigns: Apeksh Trust often run campaigns that emphasize the need for responsible waste disposal, reducing single-use plastics, and the importance of recycling to prevent littering and encourage cleaner communities.
  1. Capacity Building and Training
  • Training Local Communities: Apeksh Trust offer training programs to communities, local leaders, and sanitation workers, focusing on sanitation management, hygiene practices, and waste management techniques. This helps communities take ownership of SBM initiatives and ensures that sanitation practices become part of daily life.
  • Building Capacity of Local Authorities: Apeksh Trust collaborate with local government bodies, helping them build the capacity to plan, implement, and monitor sanitation and hygiene initiatives effectively. This can include training municipal staff on waste management, public health monitoring, and SBM compliance.
  • Building the Capacity of Women and Youth: Apeksh Trust focus on empowering women and youth by training them as community hygiene ambassadors, sanitation workers, and leaders in local sanitation efforts. Women’s participation is crucial for sustaining sanitation behavior change and promoting hygiene in households.

 

 

  1. Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Tracking Progress: Apeksh Trust play a role in monitoring the progress of SBM implementation at the grassroots level. They collect data on toilet usage, waste management practices, and cleanliness standards, helping local authorities track the success of SBM initiatives and make necessary adjustments.
  • Feedback Mechanisms: Apeksh Trust provide feedback on SBM initiatives, often acting as intermediaries between the community and the government. They gather community inputs, identify challenges faced during implementation, and suggest solutions to improve the program’s effectiveness.
  • Impact Assessment: Apeksh Trust is involved in assessing the impact of SBM on public health and well-being. They track health improvements, reduction in open defecation, and environmental changes resulting from the mission’s efforts.
  1. Engaging with Schools and Children
  • School Hygiene Programs: Apeksh Trust work with schools to promote sanitation and hygiene practices among children. They conduct programs on handwashing, menstrual hygiene management, and cleanliness, ensuring that children learn the importance of sanitation at a young age and can influence their families.
  • Involving Children in Cleanliness Drives: Schools, with the support of Apeksh Trust, organize cleanliness drives, sanitation awareness programs, and peer education sessions, where children become active agents of change in their communities.
  • Menstrual Hygiene Education: Apeksh Trust focus on educating girls about menstrual hygiene management (MHM), providing access to sanitary products, and ensuring that school toilets are equipped to handle menstruation-related needs.
  1. Focusing on Vulnerable Groups
  • Special Programs for Marginalized Groups: Apeksh Trust focus on marginalized and vulnerable groups, including people living in informal settlements, marginalized castes, or tribal communities, ensuring that sanitation and hygiene programs are inclusive and equitable. They may adapt sanitation solutions to meet the specific needs of these groups.
  • Sanitation for the Homeless and Urban Poor: In urban areas, Apeksh Trust work with local authorities to provide accessible and functional sanitation facilities for the homeless, slum dwellers, and other urban poor populations who often lack access to basic sanitation.
  1. Partnerships with Government and Other Stakeholders
  • Collaborating with Local Authorities: Apeksh Trust work in partnership with local governments, municipal bodies, and state authorities to ensure SBM programs are successfully implemented. They often act as facilitators, helping bridge the gap between government agencies and local communities.
  • Engaging in Public-Private Partnerships (PPP): Apeksh Trust form partnerships with private sector companies to bring in technical expertise, funding, or innovative sanitation solutions that enhance the effectiveness of SBM efforts.
  • Resource Mobilization: Apeksh Trust help mobilize resources, including funding, technical expertise, and volunteer support, to complement government efforts in scaling up SBM activities.