THINK LONG-TERM

India needs continued emphasis on flagship programmes, aligned to long-term planning that focusses on water security and circular economy in a climate-risked era

- DEPINDER KAPUR, SUSHMITA SENGUPTA, SUMITA SINGHAL

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.