NEW DELHI, Mar 31: Government of India and the World Bank have signed an agreement for the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) amounting 1.5 billion dollar loan to support operation project in India . The loan agreement for the project was signed by Raj Kumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance on behalf of the Government of India and Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director, India on behalf of the World Bank. The agreement will ensure that all citizens in the rural areas have access to improved sanitation with a focus on changing behaviour and eliminating the practice of open defecation by 2019. The Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission is the country’s largest-ever drive to improve sanitation. The SBM aims to end open defecation and improve the management of liquid and solid wastes ,added Mr Kumar. Specifically, this project will support the rural component, known as SBM ? Gramin (SBM-G), over a five-year period using a new performance-based programme which links funds directly to results, ensuring that benefits are delivered to the people in need ? more than 60 percent of India’s population that resides in rural areas. The SBM-G programme focuses on ensuring usage of toilets along with their construction. States and their implementing agencies will be given incentives for meeting performance standards. Performance will be measured against the states’ ability to reduce open defecation, sustaining their open defecation free (ODF) status and improving solid and liquid waste management in rural areas. The loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a maturity of 18 years including a grace period of 5 years. “One in every ten deaths in India is linked to poor sanitation. This project, aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Initiative of the government, will result in significant health benefits for the poor and vulnerable, especially those living in rural areas,” said Onno Ruhl, World Bank Country Director for India. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) will oversee and coordinate the project and support the participating states. Funds will also be used to develop the capacity of MDWS in programme management, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The Bank will also provide a parallel 25 million dollar technical assistance to build the capacity of select state governments in implementing community-led behavioural change programmes targeting social norms to help ensure widespread usage of toilets by rural households. (UNI)
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