Cabinet approves the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) [SBM U] till 2025-26

• Financial outlay of ₹1,41,600 crores for SBM-U 2.0, 2.5 times more than the first phase of the mission
• SBM-U 2.0 targets Complete elimination of Open Defecation, including fecal sludge management in all cities with less than 1 lakh population
• Eradication of hazardous entry into sewers and septic tanks
• No untreated wastewater to pollute water bodies
• All cities to achieve at least 3-star Garbage Free certification

New Delhi/ Kalinga Voice

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, today approved the continuation of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) till 2025-26, with focus on sustainability of Open Defecation Free (ODF) outcomes, achieving scientific processing of Solid Waste in all cities, and managing Wastewater in cities with less than 1 lakh population in Census 2011 [cities not covered under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)].

Financial Outlay under SBM-Urban 2.0:

A financial outlay of ₹1,41,600 crores has been finalized for SBM-U 2.0, including central share of ₹36,465 for the period 2021-22 to 2025-26 which is over 2.5 times the financial outlay of ₹62,009 crores in the last phase of the Mission.

• Fund sharing pattern between Centre and States is as follows:

• Cities with million plus population: 25:75
• Cities with population between 1-10 lakhs: 33:67
• Cities with less than one lakh population: 50:50
• Union territories without legislature: 100:0
• Union territories with legislature: 80:20

Expected Outcomes under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

Sanitation:

1. All statutory towns to become at least ODF+
2. All cities with <1 lakh population to be made ODF++
3. Putting in place systems and processes so that all wastewater is safely treated and optimally reused and no untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies

Solid Waste Management:

• All cities to achieve at least 3-star Garbage Free certification

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0: Key Features

Over the next 5 years, the focus of SBM-U 2.0, launched on 1^st October 2021 by Hon’ble Prime Minister, will be on sustaining the sanitation and solid waste management outcomes achieved and accelerating the momentum generated, thus achieving the Mission’s vision of a “Garbage Free” Urban India.

The implementation of the Mission components will be done in a structured and time-bound manner, with thorough gap analysis of required infrastructure, detailed 5-year action plans, and annual action plans with timelines. The Mission will be completely paperless, digital, leveraging digital technology for complete transparency and accountability through GIS-mapped waste management infrastructure, robust user interface, online grievance redressal system, end-to-end online monitoring of projects starting from project creation to fund release, and project progress monitoring on integrated GIS-based platform.

Enablers such as outcome-based fund release, greater funding support for smaller ULBs and convergence with 15^th FC grants for added funding support, structured implementation plan for each component, robust capacity building, communication and advocacy for sustainable behavior change, intensified thrust on private sector participation, and extensive industry collaboration will help in achieving the Mission’s objectives within the scheduled timelines.

Key Components under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0

The following will be the key components for implementation under SBM-U 2.0:

Sustainable Sanitation:

1. The Mission will focus on ensuring complete access to sanitation facilities to serve additional population migrating from rural to urban areas in search of employment and better opportunities over the next 5 years. This will be done through the construction of over 3.5 lakhs individual, community and public toilets.
2. Complete liquid waste management in cities in less than 1 lakh population – a new component introduced under SBM-Urban 2.0 will ensure that systems and processes are set up in every city so that all wastewater is safely contained, collected, transported and treated and no wastewater pollutes our water bodies.

Sustainable Solid Waste Management:

1. 100 percent source segregation of waste along with functional Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in every city,  with a focus on phasing out single use plastic
2. Setting up of construction & demolition (C&D) waste processing facilities and deployment of mechanical sweepers in National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) cities and in cities with more than 5 lakh population
3. Remediation of all legacy dumpsites, so that 14,000 acres of locked up land lying under 15 crore tonnes of legacy waste are freed up.

The above will be achieved through robust capacity building of ULBs and all relevant stakeholders, and intensified focus on citizen engagement through communication and advocacy, for further scaling up the Jan Andolan.

There will be special focus on well-being on sanitation and informal waste workers through provision of personal protective equipment and safety kits, linkages with government welfare schemes along with their capacity building.

Objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission- Urban

In 2014, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister, India adopted a holistic vision for urban planning and embarked on a journey of transformation in the water and sanitation sector. The announcement for the launch of SBM was made by  Prime Minister on 15^th August 2014 with the Mission being formally launched on 2^nd October 2014 with the following objectives:

• Eradication of open defecation in all statutory towns
• 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in all statutory towns
• Effecting behaviour change through Jan Andolan

Achievements of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban

Over the last seven years, the Mission has reached all corners of the country and has changed the lives of countless citizens with its ‘people first’ focus. The following are the key milestones, achievements and impact under SBM-Urban:

• The Mission has revolutionized the sanitation space in urban India by providing 100% access to sanitation facilities in urban India. Under SBM-Urban, over 70 lakh household, community and public toilets have been built thus providing safe and dignified sanitation solutions for all. The Mission has prioritized the needs of women, transgender communities, and persons with disabilities (Divyangs).
• Access to sanitation facilities has been improved further through digital innovation such as SBM Toilets on Google Maps where over 65,000 public toilets across 3,300+ cities have been made live.
• Urban India was declared open defecation free in 2019 following which the Mission has propelled urban India on the path of sustainable sanitation with over 3,300 cities and over 960 cities being certified ODF[1]+ and ODF++[2] respectively.
• Cities are progressing towards Water+ certification under the Water+ Protocol[3] which focuses on treatment of wastewater and its optimum reuse.
• In the area of scientific waste management, waste processing in India has gone up over four times from 18% in 2014 to 70% today.
• This has been aided through 100% door-to-door waste collection in 97% wards and source segregation of waste being practised by citizens in letter and spirit across 85% wards.
• The Mission has been able to bring about a marked difference in the lives of sanitation workers and informal waste workers with over 5.5 lakh sanitation workers linked to social welfare schemes. The uninterrupted services by frontline sanitation workers played a key role in ensuring the safety of urban India during Covid-19 pandemic.
• The active participation of 20 crore citizens (comprising over 50% of India’s urban population) in the program has successfully transformed the Mission into a people’s movement, a true Jan Andolanthrough massive IEC and behaviour change campaigns.
• Digital enablements such as Swachhata App, the digital grievance redressal platform introduced by MoHUA in 2016, has reinvented the way in which citizen grievance redressal is managed. The App has resolved over 2 crore citizen complaints till date with active engagement from citizens. MoHUA has recently launched the revamped version of Swachhata App 2.0
• SwachhSurvekshan, the world’s largest urban cleanliness surveycovering over 4,000 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) was initiated under SBM-Urban in 2016. The Survekshan framework has evolved with the years and has today become a unique management tool that accelerates ground level implementation to achieve sanitation outcomes. SwachhSurvekshan 2021 was conducted in record time despite the on-ground challenges posed by the pandemic. Over the years, the survey has received over 7 crore citizen feedback cumulatively.
• Continuous capacity building of state and city level officials with over 10 lakh municipal officials and staff trained on various Mission components.