Many States can achieve the Open-Defecation Free status well before the target of 2nd October 2019: Birender Singh

Union Minister for Rural Development and Drinking Water and Sanitation Shri Birender Singh today said that the pace of construction of toilets in rural India has gathered momentum and within one year of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission, about 95 lakh toilets were constructed across the country against the target of 60 lakh toilets. He said, the States like West Bengal, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra have taken the lead in construction of Individual Household Latrines and community toilets and these states may achieve the target of Open-Defecation Free status in 2017 or 2018, well before the target of 2nd October, 2019. The Minister was speaking here after launching the Coffee table book on Swachh Bharat organized by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on October 2, 2014, as one of the largest national campaigns to make the country open defecation free in five years. Shri Singh said that the Government is committed to driving a pan-India mass movement towards improved sanitation and this is only possible through the collaborative efforts of the people of India. Changing age-old attitudes and mindsets towards open defecation is critical in attaining our Swachh Bharat goals, the Minister added.

Shri Singh also underlined that the participation of the citizen and ownership to the programme is the key to success. He informed that his Ministry has encouraged devolution of the responsibility of sanitation promotion, upgradation and management to Gram Panchayats by giving flexibility to the States. The Minister said that the government has encouraged small entrepreneurs to collaborate and support Gram Panchayats in strengthening the supply chain and they can set up sanitary marts, production centres to help people access sanitary wares and products near their homes. He said that there is immense scope for the private sector in technology development, research and development and operation and maintenance. The solid and liquid waste management component of the SBM provides scope for small and medium private sector institutions to engage in waste management and improvisation of village environmental management infrastructure. The Ministry has successfully involved para government functionaries, school teachers, Anganwadi workers, ASHAs etc. to promote sustainable sanitation in rural areas.

The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has partnered with BBC Media Action and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to honour rural sanitation champions across India with the launch of a coffee table book, “An Open Mind.” The book highlights the inspiring stories of these sanitation champions who have driven positive behaviour change in their communities and helped their villages achieve Open Defecation Free status.

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World Bank Assisted Project "Neeranchal" for the Watershed Component (Erstwhile Integrated Watershed Management Programme) of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to:

(i) implement the World Bank assisted National Watershed Management Project "Neeranchal" with a total outlay of $357 million (Rs 2142.30 crore at Rs. 60 = $1)

(ii) implement the project at the National level as well as in the nine States of Andhra Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana.

The total cost of the project is Rs. 2142.30 crore of which the Government's share is Rs. 1071.15 crore (50 percent) and rest is the loan component from the World Bank.

For achieving the major objectives of the Watershed Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojana (PMKSY) and for ensuring access to irrigation to every farm (Har Khet Ko Pani) and efficient use of water (Per Drop More Crop), Neeranchal is primarily designed to address the following concerns:

i. bring about institutional changes in watershed and rainfed agricultural management practices in India,

ii. build systems that ensure watershed programmes and rainfed irrigation management practices are better focussed, and more coordinated, and have quantifiable results,

iii. devise strategies for the sustainability of improved watershed. management practices in programme areas, even after the withdrawal of project support,

iv. through the watershed plus approach, support improved equity, livelihoods, and incomes through forward linkages, on a platform of inclusiveness and local participation.

Neeranchal will translate into better implementation outcomes of PMKSY. The programme will lead to reducing surface runoff of rainwater, increasing recharge of ground water and better availability of water in rainfed areas resulting in incremental rainfed agriculture productivity, enhanced milk yield and increased cropping intensity through better convergence related programmes in project areas.

Neeranchal is designed to further strengthen and provide technical assistance to the Watershed Component of PMKSY, in particular and all components of PMKSY, in general, to enhance its delivery capacity. Neeranchal will support the Watershed component of PMKSY (erstwhile IWMP) which was implemented by the Department of Land Resources (DoLR) in 28 States.

Watershed development projects are area development programme and all people living in the project area will be benefitted.

Background:

The Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) was implemented since 2009-10 by the DoLR, for supporting watershed development in 28 States. From 2015-16 onwards, the IWMP will be implemented as the Watershed Component of PMKSY.

The potential of the watershed approach followed by the erstwhile IWMP to support both conservation and production outcomes including the availability of water in rainfed areas, catering to the needs of small and marginal farmers as well as the asset-less, including women, has been successfully demonstrated at scale across various States of India. However, despite these successes, a number of challenges remain for watershed development to achieve better outcomes, including enhanced participation of communities, building stronger capacities and systems to plan, implement, monitor and post-project sustainability of local institutions and assets. These challenges, if not resolved, can result in implementation delays, slow disbursements and benefits.