In the ‘Swachh Bharat Divas’ programme organised on the occasion of the 151st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, Haryana bagged the first prize in the category of ODF Plus Villages among the states in the country today. The Ministry of Jal Shakti and Union Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation awarded Haryana under the ‘Gandagi Mukt Bharat’ campaign. Besides this, Haryana has also has secured the third position in the ‘Swachh Sundar Samudayik Shauchalaya’ category. Deputy Chief Minister
Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of Development and Panchayat Department and Rural Development, today received the award virtually from Shekhawat and Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria. 

• To accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation, the Prime Minister of India had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October 2014.
• Under the mission, all villages, Gram Panchayats, Districts, States and Union Territories in India declared themselves "open-defecation free" (ODF) by 2 October 2019, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, by constructing over 100 million toilets in rural India.
• To ensure that the open defecation free behaviours are sustained, no one is left behind, and that solid and liquid waste management facilities are accessible, the Mission is moving towards the next Phase II of SBMG i.e ODF-Plus.
• ODF Plus activities under Phase II of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) will reinforce ODF behaviours and focus on providing interventions for the safe management of solid and liquid waste in villages.