Swachh Bharat Mission: Only Cleanliness is Not the Key; Prosperity will have to follow it-Narendra Modi’s Vision
Launched by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on 2nd October, 2014, Swachh Bharat Mission is an initiative that was set to transform sanitation, Daily India News Blog hygiene, and cleanliness across India. Over the years, it has grown to be one of the world’s biggest cleanliness drives ever, as millions of people take it up, from Hollywood stars and business heads to ordinary citizens, all to make this country more sanitary and healthy.
Yet, in his latest speech on the 10th anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, he said that the mission was not something that would be utilized for the betterment of hygiene. Rather, he portrayed the initiative as a basis of catalysis to achieve national prosperity, which made the entity able to experience growth on grounds of economy, social dignity, and environmental sustainability.
History of Swachh Bharat Mission
Sanitation challenges were facing India very badly when it began with the SBM program. Millions of people were practicing open defecation, without proper waste management Daily India News Blog infrastructure in solid waste, and very few were aware of hygiene practices. The mission was only the construction phase of toilets at the time in rural and urban sectors, open defecation, and bringing behavior change.
The Indian government has declared the country open-defecation-free by 2019, which is nothing short of an incredible achievement because the count had to be made of 110 million toilets constructed within this time. According to the government statistics, more than 110 million toilets were constructed over the period of time, making sanitation accessible to millions of households. The mission also helped with the promotion of local systems of waste management and hygiene education among children and school-going students.
At first sight, SBM appeared to be an organisation engrossed solely in cleaning work, though during its waves of prosperity, it touched upon health, tourism and employment as well as overall prosperity generally.
Cleanliness as a Road to Prosperity
Prime Minister Modi said in his speech of October 2, 2024, that the Swachh Bharat Mission should be seen not as a way to cleanliness but rather prosperity. Here, he aptly linked two aspects: cleanliness with economic growth and human well-being. This line of linking sanitation with economic progress is not new but has often been forgotten. Let us see how SBM has helped the nation in its prosperity.
1. Health Benefits Pursuing Economic Growth
Poor sanitation forms one of the significant causes of diseases that could have been avoided. Diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid, to name a few, result from this. According to the WHO, nearly 60% of diarrheal deaths worldwide are blamed on lack of good sanitation. Until the SBM was implemented, most of such instances came from India. Most of the above health issues have been mitigated under the SBM with immense construction of toilets and improvement in sanitary practices mainly at the grass root levels.
Generally, a healthier population means a more productive workforce. Absenteeism decreases, productivity increases-everything that leads to economic growth-when people are healthier. In his speech, Modi admitted that SBM has had a direct positive effect on India’s economy with the reduction in the cost of health care and increase in productivity.
2. Tourism Boost
The most important sector that has benefited from the cleanliness drive has been tourism. India, with its rich cultural heritage and scenic beauty, was always an attractive destination for tourists. However, unhygienic conditions in public spaces often dissuaded international tourists. Cleanliness of tourist spots remained at the forefront for SBM through cleaning efforts over rivers, cities, and rural areas.
And with improved sanitation, tourism began to grow. India has seen a rapid and sustained increase in foreign tourist arrivals since 2014; the Ministry of Tourism reports increased foreign exchange earnings as well. Cleaner cities and heritage locales attract tourists and positively impact employment prospects for neighborhood communities, thereby realizing regional prosperity as well.
3. Job Generation Through Waste Management
In many ways, decentralised waste management has emerged as a prime focus area under SBM. The mission promoted an entirely decentralized system of waste collection, segregation, and recycling by urban local bodies in partnership with private parties. This brought forth new scopes for new avenues of employment, mainly in SMEs.
Road Ahead: Sustainability for the Sustaining the Momentum
The journey that SBM has undertaken in the last ten years changed it overnight, but the road ahead is equally daunting. While celebrating the success of this mission, Prime Minister Modi has outlined future plans to sustain the gains and also add more – improvement in urban sanitation through Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, bridging the gap of water security, and launching new projects to the order of ₹9,600 crores for sanitation infrastructure.
He also focused on behavioral change and public involvement to make SBM sustainable in the long run. Citizens were inspired to develop a civic sense that cleanliness is one’s responsibility as well, and efforts were needed towards maintaining a clean environment.
Conclusion
KreativanSays that the Swachh Bharat Mission, that began as a cleanliness drive, has extended far beyond its original objectives to encompass the whole gamut of health, tourism, employment, and women’s empowerment. The idea of prosperity through cleanliness as envisioned by Prime Minister Modi demonstrates the greater socio-economic benefit the mission can bequeath.
As India marches forward, the Swachh Bharat Mission symbolizes that country’s commitment to bringing development to its citizens and implementing sustainable development. Success of the mission does not only bring before the world the might of collective action but also becomes a model for other countries faced with the woes of sanitation.
In the words of Modi, “Cleanliness is not only the symbol of dignity but also a key driver of prosperity.” This Swachh Bharat Mission, therefore, with continued efforts and public participation, seems likely to remain one of the cornerstones of India’s growth story in the years to come.