OPEN DEFECTION FREE (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – Govt Schemes)

Context: Recently, the Prime Minister of India commended Jammu and Kashmir for the remarkable achievement of all 100% J&K UT villages attaining ODF Plus status in the 'Model' category during phase II of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).

Open Defecation Free (ODF)

• The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation has adopted a uniform definition of ODF (open defecation-free) :

oNo visible feces was found in the environment/village; and

oEvery house as well as public/community institutions uses safe technology options for the disposal of feces.

• ODF +: ODF+ focuses on toilets with water, maintenance and hygiene.
• ODF plus village: It is defined as “a village which sustains its ODF status, ensures solid and liquid waste management, and is visually clean.”
• ODF ++: Focuses on toilets with sludge and septage management.

Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G)

• Launched: In 2014.
• Nodal Ministry:  Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Aim: To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation.
• Implementation: As a nationwide campaign/Janandolan which aimed at eliminating open defecation in rural areas.
• SBM-G Phase-I: The rural sanitation coverage in the country at the time of the launch of SBM (G) on 2nd October 2014 was reported as 38.7%.
• More than 10 crore individual toilets have been constructed since the launch of the mission, as a result, rural areas in all the States have declared themselves ODF as on 2nd October, 2019.
• SBM(G) Phase-II: It emphasizes the sustainability of achievements under phase I and to provide adequate facilities for Solid/Liquid & Plastic Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India.