Indian Prime Minister’s Dream project “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan” is looking creeping in the nation as just a fifth of the respondents in a recent nationwide survey say local municipalities have improved garbage collection or cleanliness. However, Modi brought the focus back on the scheme this week when he called for a Swachhagraha, on the lines of a movement Mahatma Gandhi had launched during India’s freedom struggle.
The study found the hygiene has visibly improved in only four, while the rest of India reported marginal or no change.
The survey was conducted by citizen engagement platform ‘LocalCircles’ and it that said Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra showed the most improvement while Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar reported no change. Though other states showed marginal improvement.
“The survey shows gradual progress but municipalities still remain a major area of concern. Municipal bodies are still not fully engaged with citizens or even the mission,“ said K Yatish Rajawat, chief strategy officer, LocalCircles.
What came out of this study among public opinion?
- More than half of all survey respondents said civic sense hadn’t improved in the last two years.
- 71% of them said they don’t have phone numbers of municipal staff.
- 87% said they frequently observed plastic or hazardous waste dumped in their city.
- Only a fifth thought availability of public toilets had improved since Swachh Bharat was kicked off in 2014.
How long will it take to improve complete hygiene in Constituencies of Government of India Minister?
- LocalCircles study said it would take at least 32 years for the government to reach its target in toilet building in the PM’s constituency of Varanasi.
- Corresponding time periods to achieve these targets were 35 years for home minister Rajnath Singh’s constituency of Lucknow.
- And it will take eight years for foreign minister Sushma Swaraj’s Vidisha.
- Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh will take 74 years to reach his target for Purvi Champaran
- While transport minister Nitin Gadkari will take only two years.
