Study on Impact of Swachh Bharat Mission on Rural Community of Uttar Pradesh

Abstract

This study was conducted in Meerut district of Western Uttar Pradesh which was selected purposively. The data was collected from 80 respondents belonged to rural community with the help of structured interview schedule. The study reveals that, majority of the respondents (31.25%) found in higher medium age group (46-60 years), (40.00%) belonged to other backward caste, (23.75%) of respondents had 10th Pass level of education, (75.00%) were living in joint family system, (68.75%) had more than four members in their family, (65.00%) had pucca house and (46.25%) were having up to 1 ha of land and (46.25%) were engaged in agriculture. The material possession, majority of the respondents had Gas connection (92.50%) and Hand pump (92.50%) as a home appliance, cycle (86.25%) as a transport facility, Sprayer/Duster (27.50%) as a farm machinery and electric tube well (81.25%) as an irrigation facility. The finding of the study also reveals that majority (91.25%) of respondents don’t have any membership for social organization and majority (53.75%) of respondents had income less than 50,000 per annum. Further, the study also revealed that majority (60.00%) of respondents had low level of knowledge regarding Swachh Bharat Mission or (98.75%) knew it by name only. However, (78.75%) had their own toilets in premises, (42.50%) had septic tank with soak pit type toilet, (100%) were practicing cleaning of utensils and (100.00%) were washing their hands with soap before feeding to kids on a daily basis as hygienic practice. It is also found that (85.00%) respondents had a sense of responsibility towards cleanliness in public places. Soft assets (62.50%), Hard assets (56.25%), Ambient media (58.75%), Mass media (52.50%) and some sort of digital media (47.50%) had a great impact on awareness of programme. Most of respondents had a positive perception towards programme in development of the country (96.25%), toilets in home feels secure to women (96.25%), decline in the cases of women abuse (92.50%), schools are clean nowadays (90.00%) etc. as they understood the importance of sanitation and hygiene. The major constraints in implementation of programme were lack of incentives in programme (78.75%), less adoption of new technology (77.50%) and failed in behavioural changes of people (66.25%).