Ganga Bank Across 5 States to be Made Open-Defecation Free

All villages spread across five states - Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal - located along the banks of the Ganga will be made open defecation free (ODF).

There are 5,169 villages along the river Ganga that fall under 1,651 gram panchayats (GPs), 52 districts, and five states.

The union ministry of drinking water and sanitation, in partnership of youth affairs and sports, ministry of water resources, river development and Ganga Rejuvenation is jointly sponsoring the project. The campaign is being a collaborative effort between the 'Swachh Bharat Mission', local youth leaders and the 'Namami Gange' project - is being called 'Swachh Yuga Gram panchayat', said an official.

The union ministry of youth affairs, under the coordination of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan, is enlisting the support of youth agencies such as the Bharat Scouts and Guides, Nehru Yuva Kendras and National Service Scheme. These organizations will be called upon to provide a large number of local youth volunteers to support a behaviour change campaign in the 52 districts under the Swachh Bharat Mission.

To take this initiative forward, a nodal officer has been identified for each district to work on making their district Open Defecation Free (ODF) in mission mode, as well as to focus on Swachhta' at the village through proper solid and liquid waste management and maintaining general cleanliness.

In addition to the monetary incentive offered by the government under the 'Swachh Bharat Mission', extensive interpersonal behaviour change communication training will be given to local trainers through a network of virtual classrooms across the five Ganga states, said a senior government official.

The first virtual classroom will be launched on Tuesday, with 12 districts of Bihar undertaking a five day training for 50 youth volunteers in each location, connected to the trainer virtually. The training will be a mixture of a classroom interactive component, as well as a field visit component. Youth volunteer organizations will assist in these districts through massive local youth involvement.

ll relevant government departments would also be involved to contribute towards making this initiative a success. The local district administrations of the five states, through a series of video conferences, have been advised to mobilize local NGOs, associations, private sector organizations, faith-based organizations and developmental agencies to support this work.

The districts and states have been assured of full support from the Central government in these efforts. The state teams have, in turn, expressed their enthusiasm for and commitment towards the initiative.

Source: India Times

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• Sanitation
• Water & Sanitation
• Sanitation & Hygiene

3 Comments

1. Objectives are very nice and laudable but achieving the same has to be thought thru to nth step. Scientific disposal of faeces/ night soil is not complete for Urban Centres, so, how would this objective be met with in Rural setting. What is the purpose served if instead of open daefication, people go to Toilets/ Community Toilets that do not have scientific disposal ..Villages on the banks allow drains to meet rivulets/ tributaries and even Ganga itself..and also during first few heavy showers, storm waters bring a lot of pollutants into the River System...

2. EIL , Consultants to Namame Gange have two live tenders on REHAB of Ghats and Crimetoria,etc.. in River stretch across Uttra khand (Preebid meeting today) and similar one for Varanasi... Very laudable if Ghats of Ganges can be made more beautiful and functional as significant MONEYS of Taxpayers are likely to be spent on this activity for users all across the nation.However, one aspect needs to be reviewed...There are Storm water Drains from the towns/ cities,, Nullahs from Villages and Drains from unauthorised habitat constructed along and right across the banks which are admitted to be discharging pollutants into the River. These need to be INTERCEPTED, INFLUENT FLOWS NEED TO BE DIVERTED TO GARLAND SEWER ALONG THE RIVER BANK so that the Pollutant rich Water is transported downstream and pumped out for STPS or for BIO-REMEDIATION. It sure involves WORK at the Ghats and digging, Piping Connections, Manholes as definitely required to Intercept the Flows --- and restoration of Ghats shall be required. So, in terms of Planning of activity, Interception of Influents, specially at Ghats and laying of Garland Sewer along Ghats should be attempted first and then the work for improvements and beautification of Ghats should be attempted so that there is no double costs incurred.I dare say this though I know that State Governments have been blindly allowing Construction of Roads and then digging them for laying Utilities and then engaging patchy work to restore those roads....Let us avoid double expenditure.....OR IS IT THAT ONLY SURFACE BEAUTIFICATION THAT MEETS THE EYES IS BEING PLANNED BUT NOT THE TECHNOLOGICAL EFFORT TO REALLY FREE RIVER WATERS FROM POLLUTANTS THAT ADMITTEDLY GET INTO IT RIGHT ACCROSS VARIOUS GHATS,,,,SPECIALLY STORM WATER DRAINS which in nonrainy days bring untreated sewerage into it.

3. Very appreciable initiative and thinking by ALL THE CONCERNED. How ever, the following may also be considered to expand the agenda and horizon of ALL THE CONCERNED:1.That people are much more likely to understand and co-operate if they know that use of toilets shall result in the night soil/ sewerage getting collected, transported by sewerage system and duly processed and end effluent shall be water for Irrigation.2.That soak pits attached to toilets shall damage the aquifers as much as open defecation does.3.That there is very good unexplored option which is in practice in many developed countries where sewerage from communities is made to pass thru ANAEROBIC BIOREACTORS which digest up to 80% of Organic Solids , generate BIOGAS and allow water with much less BOD to pass thru for further treatment -- which could be low cost and final output could be Irrigation waters or if sufficient waste lands are available i.e. Village pond that could be converted into Bio-remediation Pond to allow slow digestion and water screened and drained out after a long resident time may be made available for irrigation...4.Land owners along the River Systems should be gradually encouraged to switch on to Organic cultivation and digging of Compost Pits for Vermi-culture should be promoted so that first few heavy showers do not find their way into River Systems bring with them a whole lot of Pollutants, pathogens and organic wastes as Storm waters..5.Ultra High Density Plantations should be encouraged so that Landowners have benefits of advances in technology and also use of Green Houses for vegetable cultivation should be encouraged along River Systems because Urban Consumption Centres are also with in a few hours drive away from the banks.6. Centre and State Govt.s should make the Well Rounded program TOTALLY APOLITICAL and NATIONALISTIC because if it is given any political color, it shall backfire and divide public opinion and support.