SBM-U
(Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban)
The Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban (SBM-U), launched on 2nd October 2014 aims at making urban India free from open defecation and achieving 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in 4,041 statutory towns in the country. The strategies are the preparation of 783 comprehensive sanitation plan which includes city level sanitation plans, State sanitation strategy, behavioural change strategy and Information, Education and Communication (IEC), enabling environment for private sector participation and capacity building. All towns are covered under this scheme and the components include construction of household toilets, community toilets, public toilets, urinals, solid waste management etc.
- sanitation infrastructure and services are improved.
- SWM infrastructure, processes, and systems are improved.
- Urban sanitation and used water infrastructure, management, and systems are improved.
- IEC interventions and institutional capacities are strengthened.
The focus is on both solid and liquid waste management. In SWM, in Kerala, door to door collection, processing of waste at community and regional levels, specialised waste management – for electronic waste, sanitary waste, C&D waste etc are the challenges and objectives that are being tackled. Biomining of landfills is another priority. As far aas sewage and sullage are concerned, the State has a very robust coverage of septic tanks, but does not have commensurate FSTPs. Setting up treatment facilities including subterranean biodigesters and mobile FSTPs are being earnestly attempted, notwithstanding the challenge of population density, topography and entrenched local resistance and agitation.
