J&K to be developed as investment destination

Along with SBM-G, the 15th Finance Commission has set aside INR 30,375 crore (around USD400 million) for rural water supply and sanitation. These projects will be implemented by rural local bodies for the upcoming financial year. The ODF Plus programme will also converge with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), a labour and security measure.

Under the programme, provision for incentives of INR 12,000 (USD1600 million) for construction of Individual Household Toilet (IHHT) to the newly emerging eligible households as per the existing norms will continue. Additionally, financial assistance to gram panchayats, or village councils, will be given for construction of Community Managed Sanitary Complexes (CMSC) at the village level, and has been increased from INR 2 lakh (USD2700) to INR 3 lakh (USD4000) per CMSC.

The programme will be implemented by the states and union territories as per operational guidelines which will be issued to the states shortly, Javadekar said, adding the fund sharing pattern between the Centre and the states will be 90:10 for North-eastern states and Himalayan states and Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir; 60:40 for other states; and 100:0 for other Union Territories, for all the components.

The programme will be monitored on the basis of output-outcome indicators for four key areas -- plastic waste management, biodegradable solid waste management (including animal waste management), grey water management and faecal sludge management.

Officials said the programme will continue to generate employment and provide impetus to the rural economy through construction of household toilets and community toilets, as well as infrastructure for SLWM such as compost pits, soak pits, waste stabilisation ponds, and material recovery facilities.

Rural sanitation coverage in the country at the time of launch of SBM-G on October 2, 2014 was reported as 38.7%. More than 100 million individual toilets have been constructed since the launch of the mission. As a result, rural areas in all the states have declared themselves ODF as on October 2, 2019. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) has, however, advised all the states to reconfirm that there are no rural households that still don’t have access to a toilet, and provide the necessary support to any such identified.

Modi launched SBM soon after assuming office in 2014. The mission has been a success as toilets were constructed on mass scale across the country to make villages open defecation free. Around 90 million toilets were constructed in the first phase. After the success of the programme, the government has launched the second phase with larger goals.