New Delhi, Jun 25 (PTI) The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has released a revised cleanliness certification protocol with the aim to sustain open defecation free status across urban India and move towards achieving new sanitation goals, according to a statement on Saturday.

According to the ministry, seven years since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), lakhs of citizens, especially women, children and divyangs, have been provided dignity and safety.

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The need of the hour is to sustain these achievements while steadfastly moving towards new sanitation goals.

The revised protocol, launched at an event on Friday, is aligned with the objectives of SBM-2.0.

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It is designed to ensure that no untreated used water or faecal sludge is discharged into the environment and all used water, including sewerage and septage, grey water and black water, is safely contained, transported and treated, along with maximum reuse of treated used water in all cities with less than one lakh population, the statement said.

It is also aimed at sustaining open defecation free status in all statutory towns.

The revamped protocol contains provisions to encourage cities to have robust infrastructure with reliable operation and maintenance (O&M) mechanism to achieve the goal of a clean urban India, the ministry said in the statement.

Key interventions against each certification include ODF category -- robust monitoring mechanism ensured by increasing the number of survey sample size and location types.

It also includes ODF+ -- focus on functionality of community and public toilets and innovative O&M business model for their sustainability in the long run.

Under ODF++ category, it emphasises on mechanised cleaning of septic tanks and sewers, safe collection & treatment of used water as well as safe management of faecal sludge.

Under Water+ category, the focus will be on collection, transportation, treatment and reuse of both used water and faecal sludge to prevent environmental pollution, the statement said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)