The journey of Mission Nirmal Bangla (MNB) had commenced on the World Toilet Day in 2013, way ahead of launching of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) by the Government of India on 02.10.2014. Since then the State Government has relentlessly worked in a sustained manner for eradicating the menace of open defecation from the rural West Bengal ensuring sustainable behaviour change within the community.

  On 19th November, 2013 on the occasion of celebration of World Toilet Day, Hon’ble MIC, P&RD and PHE Departments administered oath to all the District Magistrates of the State to achieve Open Defecation Free West Bengal on or before 2nd October, 2019. After the baseline survey conducted in 2012-13, 66,34,834 individual household latrines have been constructed in all Gram Panchayats of the State. Finally Hon’ble Chief Minister declared the rural West Bengal open defecation free (ODF) on 3rd August, 2019.

Objectives of Mission Nirmal Bangla are:

a) Bringing about an improvement in the general quality of life in the rural areas.

b) Accelerating sanitation coverage in rural areas to achieve the vision of Nirmal West Bengal by October, 2019 with all Gram Panchayats in the State attaining Nirmal status.

c) Motivating communities and Panchayati Raj Institutions promoting sustainable sanitation facilities through awareness creation and health education.

d) Making provisions of appropriate sanitation facilities in all schools, ICDS centre in the rural areas with proper sanitation facilities and undertake proactive promotion of hygiene education and sanitary habits among students.

e) Encouraging cost effective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainable sanitation.

f) Developing community managed environmental sanitation systems focusing on solid & liquid waste management for overall cleanliness in the rural areas.

This programme is being implemented in three levels i.e. Household levels, Community level and Institutional levels.

  At household levels all the eligible beneficiaries [BPL families, APL families restricted to SCs/STs, small and marginal farmers, landless labourers with homestead, physically handicapped and women headed households] are eligible to receive Rs.12, 000.00 as an incentive to construct a sanitary toilet at their households.

  At the places of public congregations i.e. bus stand, market place etc. there is a provisions for construction of Community Sanitary Complex that costs Rs.2 lakhs, out of which Rs.1.80 lakhs is paid out of MNB fund and Rs.20.00 thousand is the beneficiary contribution.

  To maintain overall cleanliness in the village /surroundings Rs. 20 lakhs may used for making provisions for Solid & Liquid Waste Management.

  Construction of toilet at School and ICDS centres has been entrusted to the concerned departments. However, promotion of good hygiene behaviours is the responsibility of the Mission.

  Under SLWM initiatives provisions for safe disposal of menstrual wastes and promotion of safe hygiene practices among the people.

  Communication for sustainable behaviour change and capacity building of the relevant stakeholders for multi dimensional flow of knowledge is also an important area of intervention. 5% of the total expenditure is earmarked for carrying out different activities under this intervention.

  2% of the total expenditure is earmarked as administrative cost.

  The cost sharing ratio among the Central and State governments at 60:40.

Strategy for programme implementation:

  Each district formulate their Annual Implantation plan focusing ODF status within a certain time limit. Accordingly targets for construction of IHHLs, CSCs are fixed. Entire machinery then mobilised to achieve the target to achieve ODF status.

  Flexibility has been given to the districts to formulate their own strategy to attain ODF status. Districts like Coochbehar, Dakshin Dinajpur, Malda Birbhum have adopted Community Approaches to Sanitation (CATS) while districts like Nadia, North 24 Parganas, Purba Medinipur, Hooghly, South 24 Parganas have achieved ODF through intensive communication campaign especially interpersonal communication.

  In West Bengal it has been decided that Rs.10, 000.00 will be given to a household for construction of an IHHL, total amount @ Rs.2, 000.00 per household is earmarked for carrying out WASH related activities in the GP.

  In some districts beneficiary constructs their toilet at their own cost and the incentive amount is released after claim is received.

  Once all the blocks are declared as ODF, a district declares as ODF by itself. The district is formally declared as ODF by the State after due verification by an independent agency engaged by the State. GPs and Blocks verifications are done by the district concerned as per the provisions laid down in the ODF protocol.

  All the 342 Blocks in the State have been declared ODF.

  Since 2013-14, 66,34,834 Individual Household Latrines under BLS category have been built.

  7,42,609 Individual Household Latrines under LOB category have been built.

  3,57,062 Individual Household Latrines under NOLB category have been built.

  4279 CSCs have been built from 2014-15 to 2019-20.

  1314 CSCs have been built in 2019-20.

  SLWM initiative has been taken in more than 200 Gram Panchayats.

In 2021-22, it is planned to strengthen the communication interventions further to sustain the newly acquired ODF status in all districts. 7,21,367 nos. of Individual Household Latrines of new emerging household and 2469 additional Community Sanitary Complexes are to be constructed in various Gram Panchayats. Also, 512 additional Gram Panchayats are to be extended with scientific solid and liquid waste disposal facilities. Target for setting up of 10 (ten) Faecal Sludge Management systems and 9 (nine) GOBAR Gas projects has also been taken. Apart from this, a mechanism for mid-term evaluation of ODF sustenance in different districts have been contemplated during this year.