Context-The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, GoI launched the 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy (2019-2029)

About strategy

• It will focus on sustaining the sanitation behavior change that has been achieved under the Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen (SBM-G), ensuring that no one is left behind, and increasing access to solid and liquid waste management.

• The 10 year strategy focuses on the need for States/UTs to continue their efforts to sustain the gains of the mission through capacity strengthening, IEC (Information, education and communication), organic waste management, plastic waste management, grey water management and black water management. ”

• The strategy also speaks about potential collaborations with development partners, civil society and inter-government partnerships. It also highlights innovative models for sanitation financing.

• As we prepare to dedicate a Swachh Bharat to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150^th birth anniversary on 2^nd October 2019, the State Governments have been advised to ensure that no one is left behind, and in case any household does not have access to a toilet, they be facilitated to build a toilet on priority.

Open Defecation Free Status

• ODF: An area can be notified or declared as ODF if at any point of the day, not even a single person is found defecating in the open.

Why Open Defecation + and Open Defecation ++

• To ensure the sustainability and long term impact of the ODF status.
• The SBM ODF+ and SBM ODF++ protocols build upon the ODF protocol while keeping true to its provisions, so as to provide a platform for cities and towns to improve sanitation sustainability. The protocols are incremental in nature, and reflect on-ground realities present in India.

What are the difference between Open Defecation + and Open Defecation ++

• Cities and towns that have already achieved ODF status as per the ODF protocol prescribed by MoHUA and are working towards ensuring sustainability of the ODF status to ensure proper maintenance of toilet facilities are referred to as SBM ODF+.
• ODF ++ includes safe collection, conveyance, treatment and disposal of all faecal sludge and sewage besides the protocols of ODF+ in order to achieve safe sustainable sanitation for all. It is step further for enhanced sustainability of the sanitation in the cities.

Pre requisites to achieve ODF+

• Individual toilets should be functional and well-maintained, with water availability.
• All public areas have functional public toilets within a span of 1 km.
• While deciding the number of toilet seats/urinals and blocks, the city’s entire floating population must have been considered.
• The city has sufficient mobile toilets/toilet facilities for use during occasions with large gatherings in a single area
• Once a city has communicated to the respective state government the final resolution declaring the city to be SBM ODF+, and the state government has communicated the same to MoHUA (or in case of development authority or cantonment board, city has directly communicated to MoHUA), a third party verification process (“Swachh Certification for SBM ODF+”) is to be adopted, for the final SBM ODF+ certification.

Prerequisites to achieve SBM ODF++

• All necessary conditions for SBM ODF+ (as per the SBM ODF+ protocol laid down by MoHUA) have been achieved, except that at least 25% of functional public and community toilets must adhere to the additional conditions.
• All toilets (individual, community and public) are either connected to (a) sewer networks; or (b.) safe containment systems (such as septic tanks, twin pits or other on-site sanitation systems prescribed by CPHEEO or under SBM-Urban Mission Guidelines).