Ahmedabad, Sep 29 (IANS): As the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) reaches its 10-year milestone, Gujarat has emerged as a frontrunner in India's cleanliness drive, boasting accomplishments under both rural and urban initiatives. Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, the SBM aimed to make India Open Defecation Free (ODF) and promote cleanliness through a multi-faceted approach.

A decade later, the mission's progress in Gujarat stands as a testament to what can be achieved through community involvement, government collaboration, and focused leadership.

One of the key goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G) was to eliminate open defecation in rural areas, and Gujarat has made remarkable strides in this direction. The first phase of SBM-G, spanning from 2014 to 2019, witnessed the construction of over 100 million toilets across India, with Gujarat contributing over 4.3 million of those.

Through innovative socio-behavior change communication (SBCC) techniques and water connection provisions to rural households, Gujarat achieved ODF status in 2017 and attained ODF Plus status in 2023.

A recent survey conducted in February 2024 assessed 4,943 Gram Panchayats in Gujarat, revealing less than 1 per cent incidence of open defecation -- a clear sign of the state's commitment to sanitation.

Despite challenges such as fluctuating populations and newly built households, Gujarat has drastically reduced open defecation and continues to lead in sanitation efforts.

The foundation of the SBM-G's success lies in its guiding philosophy of the 5 Cs: Convergence, Community Involvement, Collaboration, Communication, and Capacity Building.

These principles have not only revolutionised sanitation practices but have also transformed entire communities. The 5 Cs have fostered a sense of ownership among citizens, who now actively participate in keeping their surroundings clean and promoting hygiene.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has further reinforced these efforts by sanctioning Rs 240 crore for various initiatives under "Nirmal Gujarat 2.0" to strengthen the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on a broader scale. These funds aim to promote clean toilets, integrated waste management, and the overall cleanliness of Gujarat's urban areas, making the state dust-free, plastic-free, and green.

Under the Nirmal Gujarat 2.0 initiative, the government has introduced an incentive system for municipalities based on their annual sanitation tax collection.

For "A" and "B" class municipalities, those achieving 71 per cent to 80 per cent tax collection will receive a 100 per cent incentive, which increases to 200 per cent for municipalities reaching 91 per cent to 100 per cent.

For "C" and "D" class municipalities, the incentives range from 50 per cent to 300 per cent depending on their collection rates.

This incentive system fosters a competitive spirit among municipalities to improve their cleanliness standards.

Furthermore, municipalities will receive matching grants equivalent to their annual tax collection.

The government has allocated Rs 111 crore to enhance cleanliness efforts across Gujarat's cities and towns, which includes financial assistance for the development of major roads and beautification projects at Garbage Vulnerable Points.

In a bid to honour sanitation workers, who are at the forefront of the Swachh Bharat Mission's success, Gujarat will provide financial incentives to the best-performing workers. Each ward in municipal corporations will select one best sanitation worker monthly, who will receive Rs 10,000.

Similarly, municipalities will also reward their top workers, with Rs 4 crore allocated for these awards.

To promote cleanliness further, the state has introduced a quarterly competition called "Maru Shaher, Swachh Shaher" (My City, Clean City).

The winning cities, categorised by population, will receive awards ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore.

This initiative ensures that cleanliness remains a priority for local self-government bodies.

Despite Gujarat's impressive progress, challenges remain.

While the state achieved its ODF status in 2017 and continues to maintain it, issues such as the construction of new toilets and the provision of clean water in rural and urban areas still require attention.

Many states in India struggled to meet their toilet-building targets, and even Gujarat did not meet its goal of constructing standard public toilets by 2017.

The state's leap in the Swachh Bharat Survey rankings -- from having just three cities on the top list in 2016 to 31 cities in 2017 -- demonstrates the effectiveness of these efforts.

Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad ranked among the cleanest cities, with Surat taking the fourth spot nationwide.