Clean Toilets Challenge

Background

Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 presents the maiden edition of the ‘Clean Toilets Challenge’!

Over the past nine years, Swachh Bharat Mission has transformed the sanitation landscape of the country. With Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0, the focus now is on sustaining the sanitation outcomes achieved and accelerating the momentum generated.

Toilets across India are now using smart technologies, efficient operation and maintenance, additional safety features for women, terrain-specific designs of CT/PTs etc. to ensure complete access to quality sanitation services. There are 63 lakh+ individuals and 6 lakh+ Community/Public Toilets and urinals for citizens across Urban India and ensuring their maintenance is a continuous exercise.

Launched on 17th November 2023 by the Hon’ble Union Minister, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, the ‘Clean Toilets Campaign’ is a five-week long cleanliness and maintenance campaign that seeks to improve the operations and maintenance of public and community toilets across India. The Campaign has begun on World Toilet Day (19th November) until Good Governance Day on 25th December 2023. In addition to cleanliness and maintenance drives in all toilets, the Campaign also has a Challenge element.

The ‘Clean Toilets Challenge’ aims to recognize exceptional public toilets that exemplify cleanliness, accessibility, innovation in design, as well as functionality. Through this Challenge, the Mission will identify exceptionally well maintained public and community toilets as per the parameters of ‘FACES’ (Functional, Accessible, Clean, Eco-Friendly, Safe).

Who can apply?

  1. Urban Local Bodies / Cities
  2. Parastatal Bodies
  3. Other Central Ministries & Depts.
  4. Private Operators, NGOs, SHGs, citizen groups

Application Deadline?

The nomination form for toilets that adhere to the parameters of ‘FACES’ is live till 25th December 2023.

Evaluation Criteria?

All nominated toilets will be evaluated basis the parameters of ‘FACES’ (Functional, Accessible, Clean, Eco-friendly, Safe). Once nominations conclude on 25th December 2023, an independent jury of experts and officials from MoHUA will conduct thorough evaluation of the nominated toilet models. The selection process may also include interview rounds of shortlisted submissions with the jury members.

Recognition and Awards:

The best model toilets selected by MoHUA through the ‘Clean Toilets Challenge’ will be awarded the ‘Swachh Bharat Saarvajanik Shauchalaya’ seal of quality that will recognize their sanitation facilities as benchmarks for others to replicate and cross learn from.