Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Sushree Uma Bharti has called upon all citizens to participate in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2018 commissioned by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation to rank the states and districts on key sanitation parameters. Speaking at a function organized in the campus of Garhwal University at Srinagar in Uttarakhand to launch the “Freedom from Open Defecation Week” and Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2018, Sushri Uma Bharti shared the details of Swachh Survekshan Grameen-2018.Appreciating the Government of Uttarakhand for achieving universal sanitation coverage she complemented the State for initiating ODF plus activities in the State. She said Swachh Survekshan Grameen focuses on improving environmental sanitation and people need to ensure that all public places and the general village environment should also be clean. She reminded people that sanitation achievements can be sustained only when people make sanitation their way of life and continuously work for improving the situation. She made a special appeal to youth to take up the responsibility of cleanliness in their villages and urged them to participate in a big way in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Arun Baroka, Joint Secretary, SBM-G, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation presented the key elements of Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2018.The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has commissioned “Swachh SurvekshanGrameen-2018” (SSG-2018) through an independent survey agency to develop ranking of all districts of India on the basis of quantitative and qualitative sanitation (Swachhata) parameters. This ranking will be based on a comprehensive set of parameters including district-level surveys of public places like schools, Anganwadis, PHCs, Haat bazaars, Panchayat and citizen’s perception of Swachhata and their recommendations for improvement of the program and data from the SBM-G IMIS. As part of the Survekshan, States and districts will be ranked for their sanitation and cleanliness status. Top performing States and Districts will be awarded on 2nd October 2018.