'SUJALAM’ Campaign

• Vaid's ICS, Lucknow
• 26, Aug 2021

Why in News?

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has begun (From 25th August) ‘SUJALAM’, a ‘100 days campaign’ as part of the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

About the campaign:

• The objective is to create more and more ODF Plus villages by undertaking waste water management at village level.
• This is done particularly through creation of 1 million Soak-pits and also other Grey water management activities.

The key activities that will be organised in the villages under this campaign include:

1. Organizing Community consultations, Khuli Baithaks and Gram Sabhameetings to analyze the current situation.
2. Pass resolution to maintain ODF sustainability and achieve needed number of soak pits to manage the grey water.
3. Develop a 100 days’ plan to undertake sustainability and soak pit construction related activities.
4. Construct requisite number of soak pits.
5. Retrofit toilets where needed through IEC and community mobilization.
6. Ensure all newly emerging Households in the village have access to toilets.

Significance:

• The campaign will not only build desired infrastructure i.e. soak pit for management of greywater in villages but will also aid in sustainable management of waterbodies.
• The campaign would boost the momentum of Swacch Bharat Mission- Grameen phase II activities through community participation.

What is ODF tag?

The original ODF protocol, issued in March 2016, said, “A city/ward is notified as ODF city/ward if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating in the open.”

What is ODF+, ODF++?

ODF+ and ODF++ were launched in August 2018 to further scale up and sustain the work undertaken by the cities after achieving the ODF status under Phase I of the Swachh Bharat Mission — Urban (SBM-Urban).

Eligibility: Cities that had been certified ODF at least once, on the basis of the ODF protocols, are eligible to declare themselves as SBM-ODF+ & SBM-ODF++.

What is ODF+?

A city, ward or work circle could be declared ODF+ if, “at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating and/or urinating in the open, and all community and public toilets are functional and well-maintained.”

What is ODF++?

The ODF++ protocol adds the condition that “faecal sludge/septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no discharging and/or dumping of untreated faecal sludge/septage and sewage in drains, water bodies or open areas.”

Facts for Prelims:

Badri 313

• The Badri 313 Batallion is a special commando-style unit that is securing the Taliban’s hold over Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan.
• Badri 313 Brigade is named after the Battle of Badr in which Prophet Muhammad defeated the opponents with just 313 men.

‘Be Internet Awesome’ program:

Google has launched the global ‘Be Internet Awesome’ program for kids in India, wherein it will partner with Indian comic book publisher Amar Chitra Katha to offer Internet safety lessons through popular comic book characters across eight Indian languages.

Yuktdhara

It is a ‘Geospatial Planning Portal’ portal for facilitating planning at the Gram Panchayat level under MGNREGA. It will work under ISRO’s geoportal ‘Bhuvan’.

• Bhuvan “Yuktadhara” portal has been launched by the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
• This platform will act as a repository of assets (Geotag) created under various National Rural Development Programs i.e. MGNREGA, Integrated Watershed Management Programme, Per Drop More Crop and Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana etc.