Union Urban Development Ministry, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have agreed to partner in Swachh Bharat programme.
In this regard, USAID has inked a pact with the Urban Development Ministry while BGMF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation.
The Memoranda were signed in presence of Union Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma.
Key facts
- As a global partner in Swachh Bharat programme, USAID will assist union governments flagship programme by knowledge exchange and identification and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services.
- It will also provide technical support and promote public private partnership (PPP) and spend about $2.50 million per year on these activities.
- While, BMGF as a partner will provide technical and management support in the implementation of the mission.
- It will provide coordination of decentralised and non-sewered sanitation solutions, implementation and management through skill development focusing on towns located along the Ganga river at a cost of $2.50 million annually.
Thus it can be said that Government’s Swachchh Bharat Mission got global boost, which will take sanitation beyond construction of toilets and offers holistic solutions towards cleanliness.