On the way to "clean India": 2 years of Swacch Bharat Mission (Gramin) (Rural) - Thematic Discussion Series Synthesis Document

With the implementation of the SuSanA Indian Chapter, this TDS was the first with focus on sanitation in India. Since it was launched 2nd October, 2014, Swacch Bharat Mission (SBM) has been one of the Indian government’s flagship programmes to eradicate open defecation and implement behaviour change across India´s society.

The first thematic online discussion of the India Sanitation Coalition (ISC) which is hosted by the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance, aims at creating a broader understanding of what is needed to provide sustainable sanitation in India and to make India ODF in the context of the Swacch Bharat Mission. The discussion was structured into four interlinked and sequenced sub-themes that were guided by thematic experts:

1. Policy and institutions: What has changed for SBM to work the way it especially with regard to funds utilisation and construction? Hosted by Naina Kidwai, Chairperson of the India Sanitation Coalition

2. Open Defecation Free: Is the existing definition provided by the Ministry of Drinking Wa-ter and Sanitation sufficient for sustainable and effective ODF? How can we ensure be-haviour change leads to ODF and then ODF+? Hosted by Sanchita Ghosh, Water Sup-ply and Sanitation Collaborative Council

3. Sustainability: How can we ensure that the focus from constructing toilets is shifted to-wards using and maintaining toilets as well as the safe treatment of human faeces – taking into consideration the whole sanitation chain? Hosted by Sujoy Mojumdar, UNICEF India sanitation specialist

4. Good Practices: What are good practice examples of how SBM has effectively contribut-ed to significantly improve sanitation in communities? Hosted by Siddhartha Das, WaterAid’s policy manager

The following is a synthesis of the posts published during the discussions. The synthesis does not necessarily express all the standpoints expressed in the discussion nor can it take up all the issue raised during the three weeks of debate. If you are interested in participants’ postings in closer detail, please refer to the full discussion on the SuSanA Forum.

Bibliographic information

Jacob, N., von Falkenhausen, A., Bauer, M. (2016). On the way to "clean India": 2 years of Swacch Bharat Mission (Gramin) (Rural) - Thematic Discussion Series Synthesis Document. SuSanA

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