NINE YEARS OF VIKASVAAD

HAILING FROM RURAL Madhya Pradesh, I have seen the pain of non-availability of water in the water stressed region of Damoh, where women are forced to travel long distances in search of water.

- Prahlad Singh Patel

I feel privileged that the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has bestowed upon me the trust to be a part of the ‘Vikasvaad’ journey.

The year 2023 marks nine years of governance by the national government. These nine years have been dedicated to inclusive, progressive and sustainable development. The government is working hard to honour its commitment of equity and opportunity for all citizens irrespective of their region, caste, economic bracket etc.

Since assuming office, the present government has resolved to keep ‘India first’ in every policy formulation and action and as a result, India, a country with a population of over 1.3 billion people, has witnessed a remarkable transformation in sanitation over the past few years. To reduce the rural-urban divide, two flagship programmes were started under the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM-G) was launched in 2014, while Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched from the ramparts of the Red Fort by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on 15 August, 2019, as the country celebrated its 73rd Independence Day.

The Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen has been a game-changer in ensuring access to safe sanitation practices and improving overall cleanliness across the nation. This ambitious mission launched by our visionary leader, Prime Minister Modi, aimed to achieve 100 per cent sanitation coverage and make India open defecation free (ODF). Today, we can proudly say that India has achieved this monumental feat, with sanitation coverage soaring from a mere 39 per cent in 2014 to a remarkable 100 per cent in 2019.