Swachh Bharat: Centre to spend Rs 2 lakh cr in 5 yrs

The government to set up a 'Swachh Bharat Kosh' to provide tax and fiscal incentives

The Centre would spend around Rs 2,00,000 crore over the next five years for the Swachh Bharat Mission, said M Venkaiah Naidu, Union minister for urban development.

The minister also said the government would set up a 'Swachh Bharat Kosh' to provide tax and fiscal incentives. The minister said urban India generates about 68.8 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year, which means about 1.88 lakh tonnes every day. It is estimated to touch 160 mt per year by 2041.

Solid waste generated in rural areas is around 0.4 mt per day. Nearly one-third of garbage in urban areas is not treated. About 14 mt of garbage is left to rot in the open.

About 38 billion litres of sewage is generated every day by 498 tier-I cities in 2009. About 26 bl of sewage is let out in the open untreated.

Quoting a UN report, the Union minister said India leads the countries where open defecation is prevalent and 68 per cent of rural households have no access to toilets, 88 per cent of total diseases in rural areas is due to lack of clean water, sanitation and improper solid waste management.

He said the government proposes to spend Rs 1.34 lakh crore to construct toilets (11.11 crore toilets in rural areas) and about Rs 62,000 crore will be spent in 4,041 cities. He added 2.47 lakh panchayats will be given Rs 20 lakh each for the next five years to keep their villages clean.