Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen launched the 'Darwaza Band -Part 2' campaign focusing on sustaining the open defecation free status of villages across the country.

What is Darwaza Band Campaign?

• Darwaza Band' was launched in May 2017, to promote toilet use and freedom from open defecation across the country's villages.
• The campaign is under the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, and has been supported by the World Bank.
• Amitabh Bachchan is the brand Ambassador of this campaign.
• It aimed at behavioural change that has been the focus of Swachh Bharat Mission
• It focuses on the need to shift people’s paradigm from ‘open’ to ‘closed’ especially for men.
   

  Important initiatives under Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation  Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen It was launched on 2nd October, 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage in India and promote access to safe sanitation in India. The SBM aims at achieving an Open Defecation Free (ODF) nation by 2nd October, 2019, a befitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary. The SBM identifies behaviour change as the primary and fundamental tool for the achievement of ODF outcomes. As a result, rural sanitation coverage has increased significantly from 38.7% at the launch of SBM (G) in 2014 to 96.88%, as on December 2018.  Swachhata Pakhwada Launched in April 2016, Swachhata Pakhwada is inspired by vision to engage all Union Ministries and Departments in Swachhata-related activities.  Swachh Iconic Places (SIP):  MDWS has undertaken a multi-stakeholder initiative focusing on cleanliness in 100 locations across the country, which is “iconic” due to their heritage, religious and/or cultural significance.  Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha MDWS in coordination with the Government of Bihar, organized a week long campaign“Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha” in April, 2018,  GOBARdhan MDWS launched the Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resource dhan or “GOBARdhan” scheme in April 2018, at Karnal, Haryana. The scheme is aimed at keeping villages clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle owners by promoting local entrepreneurs to convert cattle dung, and other organic resources, to biogas and organic manure.  Swachh Bharat Summer Internship (SBSI) Launched in association with the Ministry of Human Resource Development and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, aimed at engaging college students and NYKS youth with Swachhata work in villages during the summer vacation.  Swajal It is a community demand driven, decentralized, single village, preferably solar powered, mini PWS programme for the 117 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog. Gram Panchayats in partnership with rural communities and State sectoral agencies would be involved in the execution of the scheme and also operate and maintain the scheme. The programme would also sustain ODF status.