The office of the Swacch Bharat Mission Gramin, Shillong, conducted a special meeting with the districts from West Khasi Hills and the Jaiñtia Hills region including Ri Bhoi to unveil and discuss the plans for the new activities that are expected to be organized in connection with the implementation of ‘Dus Ka Dum’ program under the Swachh Bharat Mission yesterday.
Previously, the target of the Swacch Bharat Mission to achieve the status of Open Defecation Free (ODF) across the entire state under various parameters set has been achieved on January 2018 – in other words, a state where everyone has access to toilets.
Since then, the next target subsequently has been focused on plans to sustain this status. The target was named ‘ODF Plus Dus Ka Dum’ is one of the programs set by the Swacch Bharat Mission to act as a handy tool in ensuring a uniform and consistent path towards the ODF Plus, i.e., in sustaining the methods and behavior towards proper sanitation and waste management throughout the country.
Speaking at the event, S. Hynniewta, SBMG Shillong, said, “Since we have been working in building many toilets and sanitary complexes across the State, we may appear to others to be working in construction. But we are not a construction project. We are simply just a mission working towards positive behavioural change.”
The Dus Kadam or the ten steps includes plans to expand and strengthen these positive behavioural changes that people have made towards the concept of sanitation and hygiene. One of important points covered by the ten steps is to set up short and profound targets like the suggestion of a community driven cleaning of at least one rural water source per Block; or the construction of at least 10 soak pits by each DDWS/State/District/ or Block officials.
The steps also cover a special drive to undertake any repairs needed for Community Sanitary Complex (CSC) and following up with the constructed purposeful buildings like the official inauguration of the Feacal and Solid Waste Treatment Plans (FSTPs) set up in various parts of the State in the last phase of the mission. Encouraged by the recent success of the Mission, the SBMG India has also set up a target for the all villages in the State to declare the said status of the ODF Plus on January 26, 2022.
The meeting also features discussion of the plans by those present. Probable problems and available solutions are also weighted and discussed, ranging from feasibility of the targets set to the technicalities of the language used in describing certain parameters set for each steps or achievement.
