Details
Launched in 2014, the scheme “Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (Phase I)” by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India, aims to eliminate open defecation in rural India through behavioral change and construction of household and community toilets. Through this scheme, financial assistance and awareness interventions for toilet construction were provided to poor, underprivileged, and marginalized households in rural areas.

Objectives:
1. To bring about mass-scale behavior change regarding sanitation and hygiene
2. To ensure the construction and usage of household-owned and community-owned toilets
3. To establish an accountable mechanism for achieving ODF (Open Defecation Free) India
4. To promote Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM)

Benefits
1. ₹12,000 financial assistance per toilet to rural households for construction.
2. Enhanced rural sanitation coverage through individual and community toilets.
3. Significant reduction in open defecation practices across India.

Activities under the Scheme:
Construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHL)
Construction of Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs)
Solid Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) activities
Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
Human Resource Development (HRD) activities

Eligibility
The applicant should be from a rural household that lacked a toilet before the scheme.
The applicant should belong to poor, underprivileged, or marginalized sections.

Note: Preference given to households led by women, elderly, disabled, or socio-economically weaker sections.

Exclusion
Households already possessing functional toilets were not eligible for the financial assistance.

Application Process
https://www.myscheme.gov.in/schemes/sbm-g-i
Offline

Step 1: The applicant contacts the local Gram Panchayat or Swachhagrahi.
Step 2: Submit the necessary documents listed above.
Step 3: The toilet is constructed using financial assistance.
Step 4: The toilet is geo-tagged and verified through the MIS portal.
Step 5: The incentive amount is credited to the beneficiary’s bank account.

Documents Required
1. Aadhaar Card
2. Bank Passbook
3. Photograph of Constructed Toilet (for verification and geo-tagging)
4. Any other documents if required