Page 19 - Swachhata Chronicles – Transformative Tales from India (eBook)

SBM-G Phase-II focuses on community-led planning, implementation, and Operation And
Maintenance (O&M) of sanitation infrastructure. Hence, communities are expected to
take the lead its implementation. DDWS has allocated 3 per cent of the total funding for
programmatic components for these activities.

GOBARdhan

Rural India generates enormous quantities of bio-waste including animal waste, kitchen
leftovers, crop residue, market waste and faecal sludge. Reports indicate that at least 5,257
tonnes of waste per day are estimated to be generated from livestock alone.

GOBARdhan was launched to ensure cleanliness in villages and to generate wealth and
energy by converting bio-waste including cattle waste into clean fuel and organic manure.
This will provide economic and resource benefits to farmers and households.

DDWS is working with concerned Departments/ Ministries/ State Governments, public and
private sector institutions and village communities to instill a spirit of ‘Jan Andolan’ and
achieve community collective action on GOBARdhan.

GOBARdhan will benefit rural people in general and women in particular with the use of
clean fuel, improved cleanliness in villages, and improvement in health. This initiative will
support biodegradable waste recovery and conversion of waste into resources, reduction
in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and reduction in import of crude oil. It will also give a
boost to entrepreneurship and promote organic farming.

DDWS has made a funding provision of up to Rs. 50 lakhs per District for GOBARdhan plants.

Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)

Although menstruation is a natural biological process affecting half of the world’s population
at reproductive age (12–49 years), it continues to remain a cause of embarrassment and shame.
The deep-seated stigma of menstrual impurity creates a barrier to gender equality. In India,
an alarming number of girls drop out of school every year when they start menstruating and,
owing to improper menstrual hygiene, face severe health issues. Further, archaic practices
observed for generations in families forbid girls from participating in normal activities.

In the wake of such challenges faced by women, particularly the girl child, MHM is more than
just sanitation. It is a vital step towards achieving a gender-balanced world by protecting the
girl child while safeguarding her dignity and giving her a life of opportunities to pursue her
dreams.
To address this aspect, MHM has been included as an important component in the
Government’s flagship programme, SBM-G. In addition to improving the overall sanitation
coverage in rural areas of India, it aims at promoting the dignity of women and children
and maintaining sustainable health and hygiene benefits. It underlines the need for the
construction of toilets in households and schools, which is integral to menstrual hygiene
and encourages safe menstrual hygiene practices. It further calls for skill development and
the setting up of sanitary napkin dispensers and incinerators in schools and public toilets.

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