'SUJALAM' campaign to ensure ODF villages, create 1 mn soak-pits
'SUJALAM' campaign
The Ministry of Jal Shakti on Wednesday started 'SUJALAM', a 100-day campaign to create more and more open defecation free (ODF) villages across the country. This campaign has been initiated by undertaking waste water management at the village level, particularly through creation of 1 million soak-pits and also other grey water management activities.
The disposal of waste water and clogging of water bodies in the villages or on the outskirts of the villages remain one of the major problems. The 'SUJALAM' campaign would help in management of the waste water which in turn would help to revive the water bodies.
The effort of this campaign would be directed towards achieving the ODF plus status for villages across the country in an accelerated manner in a short time, a release said here.
The campaign was started on Wednesday and will continue to run for the next 100 days as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations, the release added.
This campaign will not only build the desired infrastructure that is, soak-pits for management of grey water in villages but will also aid in sustainable management of water bodies.
Furthermore, this initiative would boost the momentum of Swachcha Bharat Mission Grameen (SBMG) phase-2 activities through community participation and will increase awareness about ODF-plus activities, ensuring long-term maintenance and sustainability of built infrastructure, the release said.
The key activities that will be organised in the villages under this campaign include: Organizing community consultations, 'Khuli Baithaks' and gram sabha meetings to analyze the current situation; pass resolution to maintain ODF sustainability and achieve desired number of soak-pits to manage the grey water and develop a '100-day' plan to undertake sustainability and soak- pit construction-related activities, the release added.
Among other measures would be the construction of a requisite number of soak-pits, retrofitting toilets where needed through IEC and community mobilisation and ensuring all newly emerging households in the village have access to toilets, it said.