SS2023 VoteForYourCity

Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) – Urban was launched on 2nd October 2014, the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. For urban India, the mission is being implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and covers all statutory towns/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) based on the criteria defined by the ministry.

The following are the objectives of SBM-U:

i. Elimination of open defecation,
ii. Eradication of Manual Scavenging,
iii. Modern and Scientific Municipal Solid Waste Management,
iv. Effect behavioural change regarding healthy sanitation practices,
v. Generate awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health,
vi. Capacity Augmentation for ULB’s, by creating an enabling environment for private sector participation in CAPEX (capital expenditure) and OPEX (operation and maintenance).

Furthermore, this mission considers sanitation as a whole, and thereby focuses on holistic development rather than piecemeal solutions which includes solid waste management, plastic waste management, healthy sanitation behaviours and generating awareness about sanitation and its linkage with public health.

About Swachh Survekshan 2023 (SS2023) -

The objective of the survey is to encourage large scale citizen participation and create awareness amongst all sections of society about the importance of working together towards making towns and cities a better place to live in. Additionally, the survey also intends to foster a spirit of healthy competition among towns and cities to improve their service delivery to citizens, towards creating cleaner cities.

In order for cities to reap the maximum developmental benefits from the survey, concerted efforts are being taken to strengthen the capacities of the cities to understand the modalities and spirit of the survey. In addition to giving towns and cities more time to prepare for the survey, there will be intensive interactions with ULBs to familiarize them with the survey methodology, survey process and output indicators, and clarifying their expectations from the survey.

As a prelude to encouraging cities to improve the status of urban sanitation, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) conducted the ‘Swachh Survekshan-2016’ survey for ranking 73 cities, in January 2016. In order to expand the coverage of cities, MoHUA conducted its second survey ‘Swachh Survekshan-2017’ in January-February 2017, to rank 434 cities under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). In the third edition, Swachh Survekshan 2018 was conducted from January to March, 2018 covering 4203 cities. In the fourth edition, Swachh Survekshan 2019 was conducted from 4th January to 31st January 2019, covering 4277 cities. The fifth edition, Swachh Survekshan 2020, was conducted from 4th January to 31st January 2020 along with Swachh Survekshan League 2020, which was conducted from August to November 2019. The sixth edition, Swachh Survekshan 2021, was conducted in the year 2021 from March – May 2021 along with Swachh Survekshan League 2021, which was conducted from August to November, 2020.

Some of the key focus areas of SS2023:

• End-to-end digital monitoring to bring-in efficiency & transparency
• Integration of circular economy in waste management operations
• Covid-19 response with focus on municipal frontline workers
• The idea of yellow spot (open urination) introduced
• Promoting zero waste wedding(s)/events to stop waste generated in social functions
• Atmanirbhar ward/RWA(s) to promote 'zero wet waste discharge'
• Role for public representatives in ward ranking and recognition under 'swachh change
• People first