Swachh Bharat: A pipe dream
Editorial

Swachh Bharat: A pipe dream

October 31, 2019

Pages of the land’s history, both recorded and passed on by word-of-mouth as it were, covering several centuries dating back to the era of Harappa-Mohenjodaro culture, or even the narratives in the date-less epics, seem to have no reference to Swachh per se. The Swachh Bharat Mission, launched on October 2nd, 2014 continues to be blared in media of all forms, more sounding as a slogan than to reflect success of the Mission to whatever extent that is there for all to see. While open defecation was pointedly associated with the rural areas, claims have already been made in official circles that the entire country has stopped from indulging in the time-honoured practice, the veracity of the claim not allowed to be questioned in public domain. Mercifully, the urbanites have not emulated their rustic counterparts in open defecation, which, if they did, there is no telling how urban life would have turned out, in addition to the yet unaddressed task of managing sewage and solid waste of Himalayan proportions.

The terms smart cities and clean cities, which were buzzwords for some days are no longer echoing, given the 100 cities identified to be made smart remaining the same by retaining their earlier image and according ranks to some cities for their cleanliness, in which Mysuru too figured at the top to start with. Then came to nationwide frenzied creation of toilets spending public funds, the facility not finding favour with the rustics largely.

While the nearly 450 million Indians with their homes in about 6,00,000 villages across the country chose to carry on with their routine, including open defecation and not bothered about the Swachh Bharat Mission, the urbanites in about 8,000 cities are currently facing the phenomenon of slums, growing in both numbers and headcount in virtually every city, among the cities that host slums Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and Delhi stand out. The National Capital Region of Delhi, according to a report published in a leading daily last week, has 1,797 unauthorised colonies, spread over 178 sq.kms and hosts 40 lakh residents (three times the population of Mysuru), one third the population of the capital city.

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Government of India has embarked on a measure of regularising the unauthorised colonies, euphemism for slums. Urbanities may not be defecating in the open, but they certainly cannot escape the charge of fouling up open spaces in a multitude ways, leaving the civic authorities flat-footed. Swachatha has to be the outlook to cleanliness, given the intimate connect between living in insanitary environs and illnesses. That culture driving the life of people is a pipe dream.

5 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “Swachh Bharat: A pipe dream”

  1. Strangeworld says:

    India is a typical third world country, a cesspit of plethora of problems like slums, open sewers and toilets etc..These terrifies tourists coming from outside India, compounded by stray dogs , cows, donkeys etc.. and they fear rabies. Indians have multiplied many hundreds of times and with a population standing at 1.35 billions, one can imagine the gravity of the slum problem which act as counter city colonies.
    As for defecation,every where,this is not a problem one notices today in India .People were defecating openly, urinating openly and using open spaces as toilets even in 1950s. The spicy foods Indians consume does not help, as Indians feel pressure to defecate just about any where!
    Gujarat , the home state of Modi has immense problems for decades in respect of cleanliness. Even when Indians travel abroad, they take the same unhealthy practices, they were almost born with!
    Modi,the selfie-loving and photo op -loving PM of this country creates slogans like Swacch Bharath, without seriously putting much effort to his words. Well assume when Indians follow to the Moon,with moon reaching-attempt like Chandrayaan, they will see avast open space ready for their defecation!

  2. Vipra says:

    I agee

    I live on the fourth floor of an apartment in Kuvempugar. Often times I can see people urinating righ next to the footpath . When I travel , I see people standing and urinating very openly without even bothering to go behind the bushes . Two out three times you can even see their penises jutting out when are doing this . Women traveling have become inured to this sight of mens exhibitiosim is a way !

  3. swamy says:

    @strangeworld, Why do you have so much hatred towards India? If you cannot give constructive suggestion, please be silent. Let us hear from you what would you do if you were given power. No other country is like India with its vast culture, languages, history, people, food. I have been to many countries, none like India. They are homogeneous unlike India which changes in culture, history, food every 100 miles..

  4. Rahul says:

    @strangeworld What do you mean by ‘Even when Indians travel abroad, they take the same unhealthy practices, they were almost born with!’? First of all .. are you not Indian? Also I have trVeeled to at least 10 countries outside of India and interacted with Indians abroad! We Indians are always very decent and law abiding citizens so, what unhealthy practtices you are blabbering about? I have seen such comments from Pakistanis

  5. Anonymous says:

    @Strangeworld, when you make your comments you assume you are not of Indian descent, and Superior to all Indians wherever they live. Basically, you are an arrogant, and pompous asshole! Shut the f**kup and go away, I hope the editors stop publishing you and your fellow idiots with strange handles!

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