On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a call to the nation to make India a clean country by October 2, 2019 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
To Gandhiji, cleanliness was not only fetish, it was also a powerful weapon to eliminate caste system from India and bring social equality. He had rightly said, "To me. sanitation is more important than independence." Gandhiji was aware of the pathetic situation of Indian rural people and he dreamt of clean India where he emphasised on cleanliness and sanitation as an integral part of living.
Unfortunately, after 72 years of Independence, we have only about 30 per cent of the rural households with access to toilet Perhaps, Prime Minister Modi has felt the relevance of the Gandhian thought and indirectly indicated that the maintenance of the cleanliness is a civic duty of all the citizens to improve the primary health of our country.
Making India a clean country is certainly a difficult thing to achieve, unless people make it a habit and by action to clean their own surroundings. Average places in our country are seen fastidiously clean in terms of hygiene and public sanitation. Hence, this call has become a challenge to all the citizens.
The Prime Minister has rightly asserted that Swachh Bharat Mission should be a combined effort of both Government as well as the public.
It should not be a re-branding of another Nirmal Bharat exercise. There is no doubt about the fact that change begins at home. Every citizen of the country should take it upon himself to make the campaign a success rather waiting for the Government to impose and do.
The programme was initiated with a hope that the attitude of the people towards hygiene and sanitation can be changed when a call to that effect is given by the Government.
Slowly five years have passed. It is now time to assess the impact of the programme. I have been associated with Pipili Sanskrutika Parishad, Pipili, one of the organisations in implementation of the programme right from October 2014.
Along with me, Padma Shri Bhabani Charan Pattnaik, Prof Radhamohan, and two dedicated scientists Dr PSB Anand and Dr Pravakar Nanda of ICAR-lndian Institute of Water Management, Bhubaneswar are part of the drive.
The organisation, Pipili Sanskrutika Parishad, started the programme with effect from October 2, 2014 with a big group of volunteers
numbering nearly 300 boys and girls.
The organisation is now going to complete 500 hours by October 2, 2019. Cleaning the local hospital premises to several drinking water points in different villages around Pipili, the organisation has cleaned several river bridges to platform of Bhubaneswar Railway Station.
So far, the organisation has completed 180 cleaning camps. The camp is done every Sunday morning for three hours and attendance is taken for the participants.
On completion of every 25 hours or 50 hours of cleaning, a programme is organized at different villages to assess the work and motivate the people.
Some volunteers are honoured for their good work done in the camps. In this process, some PSU and Government organisations namely Nalco, NFDL, ICAR and NHAI have joined with the organisation to encourage the volunteers.
When the volunteers pursue some of the villagers for use of toilets, they say about non-availability of water and safety tanks in their houses.
Hence, toilets constructed in the rural households with Government assistance are not utilised. It is rather discouraging to listen to the villagers for such a reply.
However, the advisors console the volunteers by saying "old habit take time to change, so don't get discouraged ."
On the other hand, while executing a street cleaning or village road cleaning or river bridge cleaning, spontaneous joining of the public with the volunteers in cleaning work is very much encouraging Many people sweat and clean the muddy and dirty roads.
Many young boys and girls join the work apart from their own villages. It indicates that younger generation like this programme cannot go without sanitation.
At some places, people pass very nude comments like naming the volunteers as "Modi agents" and asking the group about the amount of money given to them for doing the such cleaning work. In a laughing gesture, the volunteers reply, they are a “change agent” and they meet their own expenditure on voluntary contribution.
However, these are not discouraging factors. Ultimately, the programme has to be made a success and India's sanitary health has to be improved. For that continuous efforts have to be made.
The Parishad has done some commendable work at Dangamal, Bhitarkamka, Kendrapada, Damanjodi and Koraput town.
Another impressive camp was held at Nalco Campus, Damanjodi on October 2, 2018. More than 150 boys and girls of the Parishad went to Damanjodi from Bhubaneswar by train to celebrate 400 hours of completion of Swatchh Bharat Mission to popularise the programme.
Followed by that, on the next day, there was a cleaning Camp at Chandan Pokhari in the district headquarters of Koraput.
A few days back, I got a chance visit the Jindal Steel and Power company at Angul. I was impressed to see the high standard of cleanliness maintained by the company.
It is proved by the company that Swachh Bharat Mission may be a call given by the Government, but It is a national movement now.
The success of the maintenance of sanitation is very much visible in the barracks of the Defence forces. It is due to periodical inspections by the higher officials, ceremonial kit layouts and other social functions.
With that armed forces remain disease free, fighting fit and ever smart. It is observed that majority of our military cantonments and military establishment present a high standard of cleanliness compared to other municipalities and organisations. The Cantonments of Lucknow. Ambala, Bangalore, Meerut and other places deserve appreciation. It is because of the continuous training and civic sense.
(The writer is PVSM, AVSM,VSM (Retd))
