These 8 inspiring Swachh Bharat success stories will make Modi, Gandhi and every other Indian proud

One Man – Narendra Modi
One vision – Clean India by October 2, 2019
One mission – Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
One appeal – Devote 100 hours every year towards the cause of cleanliness

Over the last few decades, India’s development graph has been soaring high. However, something that has been swept under the carpet of development is the country’s filthy state.

At present, an unimaginable number of Indians don’t have access to clean drinking water. Millions of villagers live in unhygienic conditions and continue to defecate in the open. The situation in the cities isn’t pretty either, with garbage piling up and drains getting clogged.

In such a situation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to lead from the front with his ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, also known as the ‘Clean India Movement’, has prompted thousands of Indians to pick up the broom and work towards his vision of a filth free India.

And if you thought only educated or urban Indians are doing their bit, then the stories of these 8 villages will prove you wrong. What’s more, they will also inspire you to help the nation gift a Clean India to Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary.

1. Maharashtra’s Navlewadi village has water, water everywhere and a zillion drops to drink!

The people of this remote village in Puranya taluka faced a massive scarcity of clean water. But Modi’s Swachh Bharat mission has encouraged them to battle all odds. The result: A 35,000 litre water tank and several water pipelines have been installed in the village. Thanks to the abundance of water, the village now boasts of clean surroundings.

2. Who said Rajasthan doesn’t give a shit about cleanliness?

According to a UNICEF report, half of India’s population defecates in the open, with the situation especially bad in rural areas. However, thanks to Modi’s Swachh Bharat mission, things are changing. Seven villages in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh, Bhilwara and Udaipur districts have stopped open defecation, and residents there now have individual toilets constructed in their homes. This initiative by the state government is being carried out keeping in mind the mission of making Rajasthan free of open defecation by 2019.

3.  For MP’s Chauras it’s Meri Narmada Maa!

The people of this remote village in Madhya Pradesh practically lived in dirt. Even the banks of the Narmada, on which Chauras is located, were filled with piles of garbage and the villagers had no clue that the water they drank was extremely polluted. But things have now changed for this village. Thanks to Modi’s Swachh Bharat mission, the villagers came together to clean the river banks. The village now has access to clean drinking water, the garbage piles have been removed and open defecation too has come to an end.

And this beautiful sunset captured along the banks of the River Narmada is a testimony to their efforts.

4. Thrissur’s Puzhakkal village goes from bags to riches!

Kerala is popularly known as God’s Own Country. But rapid industrialisation has turned parts of the state into convenient dumping grounds. One such place was Thrissur’s Puzhakkal, where solid waste management has always been a major challenge. However, inspired by Modi’s Swachh Bharat campaign, the villagers came together and decided to tackle the piling garbage dumps. They put a proper waste management plan in place. This included removal of waste, installation of waste bins and the setting up of biogas plants. This village has now become a role model for the whole of Kerala.

5. Odisha’s Koraput decides against defecating in the open!

In one of India’s most backward districts, 11 villages have put open defecation behind them after over 500 households started using individually constructed toilets. Achieving this was no easy task for the villagers. The initial response to the Swachh Bharat rule against open defecation was negative, but the local government didn’t lose hope. A series of motivational campaigns in the form of posters, street plays etc. were carried out by the district administration, making the people conscious of the hazards of open defecation.

6. Uttar Pradesh’s Darora village believes in education as the most powerful weapon

Remember the song ‘Nanhe munhe bacche teri mutthi mein kya hai… Mutthi mein hai taqdeer humari…’? UP’s Darora village seems to  have drawn inspiration from this famous song to power the Swachh Bharat mission. In the village’s primary schools, students are taught the importance of cleanliness, and they, in turn, spread the word to their families. This growing awareness has resulted in a clean village. Swachh Bharat is now an anthem for most of the Darora villagers.

7. Coming out of the four walls for Ludhiana’s Gondwal village!

Inspired by the Swachh Bharat mission, the people of Gondwal in Ludhiana have been working hard to ensure that India achieves a clean image by 2019. To keep their village beautiful and green, the residents of Gondwal collect all their garbage in one place for decomposition. A joint undertaking of the residents and the panchayat to ensure that Ludhiana’s greenery is restored, this project is doing a world of good for the region.

8.  Haryana’s Oontkar village now lets its women do most of the talking!

If you thought the women of rural India still live under the shadow of their men,  the ladies of Oontkar village will prove you wrong. In their effort to ensure their surroundings are clean, the women of this village conduct regular gatherings where cleanliness is discussed at length. They believe that their children are the future of the village and that, as mothers, it’s important for them to set an example. They’ve  composed a song titled ‘Mere ghar mein sauchalya banao piya jee’ (Please build a toilet in my house, my beloved). Now, isn’t that truly inspiring?

Inspired? Don’t miss this short motivational video!

In today’s fast-paced world, environmental hazards are mankind’s worst crisis. And Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s effort to inspire every Indian towards a Clean India through his Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is truly commendable.

Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, we want Mission Swachh Bharat to become a mass movement that will create a Clean India! http://t.co/gnILMi0rVW

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 19, 2014

So, have you picked your broom yet?