A clean India

There is no denying the fact that cleanliness is next to godliness.A clean India doesn't merely mean keeping ourselves clean at individual level,but also ensuring that our surroundings remain clean too.Mahatma Gandhi had also stressed the importance of cleanliness and its overall impact on the society through his detailed comments on Young India and Navajivan.Unfortunately,after independence,we failed to take rigid steps towards realising his dream.

The significance of cleanliness can be gauged by the fact that an unhygienic environment is a breeding ground for a multitude of diseases.The World Health Organisation(WHO) report estimates that nearly 60 percent of the Indian population defecate in the open.Open defecation is squarely related to malnutrition,stunted and wasted growth among the children.India is ranked even below Bangladesh and Nepal in terms of malnourishment among children.Further,various communicable diseases are the result of unclean surroundings.

Taking cognisance of the enormous benefits of a clean India,the government has initiated the 'Clean India campaign' or 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan'.The mission is a multifaceted effort of buiding toilets for all,physical cleanliness and ensuring provision of clean drinking water.However,the real challenge is to convert this much touted slogan into a viable program.This is possible only through creative leadership and innovative solutions.Moreover,a massive awareness campaign to spread the message and benefits of cleanliness is the need of the hour.The civic administration should also set an example by diligent supervision of contracts awarded by the municipal bodies.It is often found that the contractors are least bothered to remove the construction waste from the worksites.

At present,the focus of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan seems to be on exhorting individuals not to litter.The programme needs to retain the momentum of a movement rather than a litter-cleaning project.About 150 years ago,Britain started its cleanliness programme as a people-centric movement which turned out to be a successful mission and also influenced the Americans and other European nations.

Purna Swachhta requires three things to be addressed.The first is wet waste or sewage,both domestic and industrial,for which adequate sewerage systems and sewage-treatment plants should be constructed.In Delhi,only 30 percent of the sewage is treated.The rest is discharged into the Yamuna river causing adverse affects on its quality and biological life.The second is solid-waste,especially municipal waste,which needs to be dealt with through land-fills,incineration and so on.The third is to bridge the link between cleanliness and public health concerns.This can be done through massive awareness programmes along with ensuring proper drinking water and subsidising the construction of toilets.

Let us all join hands together to fulfill the dreams of Mahatma Gandhi in the form of CLEAN AND GREEN INDIA.