75th Republic Day: Jal Shakti Ministry celebrated Republic Day by honoring ‘Swachh Bharat Mission – Rural Heroes’
New Delhi: As part of the 75th Republic Day celebrations, a special event was organized by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in New Delhi to honor the women change makers of Swachh Bharat Mission – Rural. The purpose of this historic event was to promote cooperation and advance progress. According to a government release, it was planned not just for celebration but for meaningful policy discussion. According to the release, these conversations celebrated the achievements of women who are making a difference in the sanitation sector and provided an opportunity for insightful exchanges that can influence future policy directions.
The event brought together over 475 women from across the country in a lively dialogue with Union Minister for Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Rajeev Chandrashekhar. Jitendra Srivastava, Joint Secretary and Mission Director, SBM-G, welcomed the participants and congratulated the Women Change Makers for ‘bringing about the change they want to see in the world.’ He also briefed about the progress of SBM across the country.
Due to which, due to the enthusiasm and inspiration of women leaders, soon more and more villages will come under the ODF Plus model category. An ODF Plus model village retains its ODF status, has arrangements for solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean. Chandra Bhushan Kumar, Additional Secretary and Mission Director, JJM set the context of the program which was for women empowerment as women have transformed themselves into leaders and changemakers in all sectors including SBM-G.
Highlighting the Swachhta Yatra, he said that we should ‘improve our waste management systems, learn from different states and continue to focus on ‘people’s participation for total sanitation’. The event also highlighted “Swachhata Shakti: Stories of women who are changing India’s sanitation at the grassroots level”, a tribute to the exemplary work of these dedicated women. During his interaction, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the success of SBM is evident from the construction of more than 11 crore toilets, more than 5 lakh villages declared as ODF Plus and provision of liquid waste management in more than 4 lakh villages. These achievements are no small feat, yet they are not so great that we should rest on our laurels.
Describing the mission of SBM-G as a ‘long-term endeavour’, she stressed that it is special to interact with women changemakers because often, women have always provided a new momentum, new energy and a new life to the journey forward on cleanliness. We should build on the SBM-G movement by declaring more villages as ODF Plus model, for which he sought support from women changemakers and asked them to help create a culture of cleanliness and a sense of ownership in the community for SBMG. the requested.
Assets.’ Lauding the women champions present at the event, Rajeev Chandrashekhar said that together you all inspire ‘the diverse strengths of women coming from different states, each with unique topography and terrain, the common thread connecting you all. The thread is the unwavering commitment to cleanliness programs and missions. The collective efforts transcend geographical boundaries, symbolizing the true spirit of unity in the pursuit of a clean nation.’ He said that unity in diversity further strengthens my belief that with your dedication and hard work, India will become the world leader in cleanliness. Will present an example.
SBM has set in motion a revolution and has brought about the world’s largest behavior change campaign that has helped prevent diarrhea deaths and improve nutrition and productivity. We should look at technology solutions and learn from each other. I urge you to remain steadfast in your commitment by connecting with your communities, collaborating with departments and engaging with SHGs to support women. He said that you all play an important role in shaping the work we do.
In his concluding speech, the Union Jal Shakti Minister said that all the change makers who shared their journey with us should go back to their villages, and tell people back home about the exemplary work being done in the field of sanitation and hygiene . Country. Motivate them to follow eco-friendly and economically viable practices and follow our digital handles for cross-learning.
“I am sure that this event has been fascinating and has inspired you to continue working with greater dedication and I am sure that seeing the example set by you, others will also learn and work towards building a ‘Complete Swachh Bharat’. Will contribute. ” He said.
