 "The government needs to look at Swachh Bharat as a social, cultural movement: Suneel Pandey")
On October 2 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with a vision to make India one of the world's cleanest countries by 2019. A year on, Suneel Pandey, director at the Green Growth and Resource Efficiency Division, The Energy and Resources Institute, speaks to Manavi Kapur about what the programme has achieved so far and how it can have a greater impact in the future
Since its announcement a year ago, what has the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan achieved so far?
One of the most prominent results of this mission's announcement has been the various workshops, activities and discussions that have happened around sanitation and waste management. The issue is now in the spotlight, but this is only a partial success. This has been a good beginning for creating infrastructure at the grass-roots level, too. For example, of the target of 1.04 crore toilets, 4 lakh have already been built. But what we need to understand is that while creation of toilets is important, we also need to ensure that they are used. Spelling out a mission is only a beginning.
The largest gap in this programme has been a lack of focus on developing softer skills and working towards a behavioural change. This also involves a rigorous awareness generation initiative. The other aspect to keep in mind is that this is a mission, which is only an expression of intent, even if it is a sincere one. An action programme should follow this mission and things are not very clear on that front. The government needs to understand that it is not the only stakeholder here, and the rolesof all stakeholders needs to be clearly defined. For example, the polluter pays principle - where those who contribute to the pollution should contribute towards curbing pollution - is as important as government participation and regulation.
How has the engagement been at the private and community level? Have these resources been channelled well?
Several public sector funds have been channelled for the activities of this mission. But the actual sanctioning of projects and getting approvals takes time. In that respect, it is still early days to gauge Swachh Bharat's success. I believe things will be clearer in the next six months. One way to look at it is that the programme has made a lot of noise and done little work. But we must also keep in mind that it is not something that can be done overnight. A programme like Swachh Bharat needs a cultural shift, especially since historically, we are not the cleanest people. This issue needs to be looked upon as a social movement and I believe that we have taken steps in the right direction.
How can the government ensure that other projects such as Smart Cities also benefit from Swachh Bharat?
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan focuses on both urban and rural India. This means that it comes under the purview of the three ministries of urband development, rural development and drinking water and sanitation. But there could be instances when an initiative cuts across ministries. For example, while the urban development ministry is a key player in the smart cities project, there could be specific projects that could come under different ministries. This is also the case with water conservation, where it goes beyond the urban development ministry's domain when one considers irrigation issues. This requires two to three ministries to work closely with each other, chart out a comprehensive plan and make sure there is no conflict.
Going forward, what are the key policy changes that will help magnify the impact of this programme?
To resolve conflict and ensure that projects get the requisite approval on time, a nodal agency should be formed. This agency should be empowered to work across ministries so that projects are not held back because of jurisdiction issues, and rather, utilise the potential and resources of all ministries towards a common goal. One needs to understand that issues of economic growth and cleanliness are interrelated and should be treated holistically. For the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Niti Aayog may not be as effective because of the various things on its platter. Instead, an agency at the prime minister's office level would make most sense.
Since its announcement a year ago, what has the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan achieved so far?
One of the most prominent results of this mission's announcement has been the various workshops, activities and discussions that have happened around sanitation and waste management. The issue is now in the spotlight, but this is only a partial success. This has been a good beginning for creating infrastructure at the grass-roots level, too. For example, of the target of 1.04 crore toilets, 4 lakh have already been built. But what we need to understand is that while creation of toilets is important, we also need to ensure that they are used. Spelling out a mission is only a beginning.
More From This Section
In what aspects is this programme lacking?
The largest gap in this programme has been a lack of focus on developing softer skills and working towards a behavioural change. This also involves a rigorous awareness generation initiative. The other aspect to keep in mind is that this is a mission, which is only an expression of intent, even if it is a sincere one. An action programme should follow this mission and things are not very clear on that front. The government needs to understand that it is not the only stakeholder here, and the rolesof all stakeholders needs to be clearly defined. For example, the polluter pays principle - where those who contribute to the pollution should contribute towards curbing pollution - is as important as government participation and regulation.
How has the engagement been at the private and community level? Have these resources been channelled well?
Several public sector funds have been channelled for the activities of this mission. But the actual sanctioning of projects and getting approvals takes time. In that respect, it is still early days to gauge Swachh Bharat's success. I believe things will be clearer in the next six months. One way to look at it is that the programme has made a lot of noise and done little work. But we must also keep in mind that it is not something that can be done overnight. A programme like Swachh Bharat needs a cultural shift, especially since historically, we are not the cleanest people. This issue needs to be looked upon as a social movement and I believe that we have taken steps in the right direction.
How can the government ensure that other projects such as Smart Cities also benefit from Swachh Bharat?
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan focuses on both urban and rural India. This means that it comes under the purview of the three ministries of urband development, rural development and drinking water and sanitation. But there could be instances when an initiative cuts across ministries. For example, while the urban development ministry is a key player in the smart cities project, there could be specific projects that could come under different ministries. This is also the case with water conservation, where it goes beyond the urban development ministry's domain when one considers irrigation issues. This requires two to three ministries to work closely with each other, chart out a comprehensive plan and make sure there is no conflict.
Going forward, what are the key policy changes that will help magnify the impact of this programme?
To resolve conflict and ensure that projects get the requisite approval on time, a nodal agency should be formed. This agency should be empowered to work across ministries so that projects are not held back because of jurisdiction issues, and rather, utilise the potential and resources of all ministries towards a common goal. One needs to understand that issues of economic growth and cleanliness are interrelated and should be treated holistically. For the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Niti Aayog may not be as effective because of the various things on its platter. Instead, an agency at the prime minister's office level would make most sense.