Sanitation is a civic duty, a discipline that reflects the cultural ethos of the public and policymakers in a nation. While India shows promising numbers in terms of GDP and is on its way to becoming the third-largest economy in the world, it is ironic that it still grapples with fundamental challenges of cleanliness and hygiene.
Dirty environments and surroundings carry social, economic, and health costs, besides tarnishing the national image and discouraging foreign tourism and investment.On the path to becoming a developed nation, the first criterion is infrastructure development, along with its maintenance, both in terms of long-term sustainability and cleanliness.
While large funds are allocated every year to new projects, the upkeep of older ones remains disappointing. Land beneath flyovers often serves as free garbage dumps, contributing to urban decay, encroachments by homeless people, open defecation, and creating unhygienic conditions. Similar situations are seen at many road dividers, often occupied by mendicants seeking alms.
Weak enforcement of littering laws and the absence of garbage bins at reasonable distances give people the liberty to dispose of waste in public spaces.Unplanned and rapid urbanisation has further worsened the situation, with rising demand but limited service provision. Population migration from rural areas has overburdened cities with waste management needs, informal settlements, and infrastructure maintenance, highlighting lapses in city management, policymaking, and implementation.
Communities such as Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are often seen taking charge of cleaning and maintaining their local areas, with volunteers and resident contributions. However, the provision of such services on a larger scale—for a city, state, or country—can only be effectively delivered by government authorities. In economic terms, these are public goods or services, which are non-rival, meaning that once provided, they benefit everyone equally.
They are also non-excludable, meaning that those who do not contribute cannot be prevented from enjoying the benefits. Sanitation services therefore face a “free rider” problem, where everyone derives positive utility from clean surroundings, but few are willing to contribute. Consequently, it ultimately falls within the remit of formal administration to frame and implement stringent policies.
Clean India cannot be optional; it must serve as a core pillar of Viksit Bharat@2047. Achieving this does not require high technology or heavy funding, but rather a change in mindset and willingness from civic authorities and the public.
The Swachh Bharat Mission, which brought cleanliness into mainstream discourse, must be strengthened in both policy formation and implementation.
In a country where the scale of need exceeds public resources, Public-Private Partnerships can accelerate the journey towards a sustainable, clean India.
Stricter laws and penalties, alongside active participation from local societies, NGOs, and communities such as RWAs, should form essential components of a long-term plan. Most importantly, while we refer to our country as a mother, it is our social responsibility to work together towards a Clean India.
The author is Assistant Professor at Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi; views are personal