USAID, Bill & Milinda Gates Foundation to assist in Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas
Updated: Jan 13, 2015 03:49:29pm
New Delhi, Jan 13 (KNN) In a boost to implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission in urban areas, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) have agreed to provide assistance in training, implementation, etc.
Critical areas identified for their support are capacity building of implementing agencies including urban local bodies, technology transfer, technical support, sharing of best sanitation practices and implementation and monitoring, according to an official release.
To this effect, USAID today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Urban Development while BGMF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. They were signed in pursuance of the agreements reached during the Summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barak Obama in September last year.
Signatories to these Memoranda were Secretary (Urban Development), Shankar Aggarwal, and Country Director of USAID, John Beed, and Country Director, BMGF, Girindre Beehary.
Others present on the occasion were Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu and US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma.
As per the MoU, USAID will assist in knowledge exchange and identification and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services. This is aimed at effective knowledge transfer enabling more rapid delivery of services. State and City level implementation staff will be provided with necessary skills and incentives to deliver results under Swachh Bharat Mission and National Urban Development Mission for 500 cities and towns.
USAID will also assist in providing targeted, demand driven technical assistance. Under this, performance indicators and city ranking systems will be introduced for incentivizing participation in Swachh Bharat Mission and triggering competition between cities. USAID will provide a broad spectrum technical support to demonstrate a fully functional sanitation system encompassing containment, collection, transport, treatment, reuse and safe disposal of fecal waste in Visakhapatnam.
As far as promoting Public-Private Partnerships are concerned, USAID will assist in creating profile consumer behaviour and identify behaviour changes relating to purchase of toilets and related services besides developing targeted and creative messaging for behaviour changes to increase demand for toilets and supply of sanitation products and services.
In addition, USAID will assist state governments in creating supporting regulatory environment for service providers for operation and maintenance of community and public toilets.
On these activities USAID is likely to spend about USD 2 million per year.
Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation will provide technical and management support and assistance in the implementation of the Mission; and fund a National Level Program Management Unit for coordination of decentralized and non-sewered sanitation solutions.
The Foundation will also award grants to organisations selected by the Ministry for delivering sanitation services; and release grant funds to grantees like NGOs, public or private organisations annually, based on satisfactory performance in respect of milestones specified.
Besides, it will assist in capacity building for planning, project preparation, implementation and management through training and skill development focusing on towns with population of one to five lakhs located along the Ganga river at a cost of USD 2.50 million per year; support IEC and Behaviour change Communications; and extend technology and innovation support for Central Public Health Environmental Engineering Office (CPHEEO) of the Ministry.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu said, “More than funds, changing mindsets of the people towards safe sanitation practices and capacity building of implementing agencies are the key issues to ensure a Clean India. The Government is committed to Walk the Talk to realise the goals set under cleanliness mission in the next five years. US cooperation will go a long way in this regard.”
On the other hand, US Ambassador, Richard Verma said, “India-US cooperation has exciting prospects. On the eleventh day of being in India, I am delighted to be associated with this partnership initiative in the area of sanitation which has significant linkages with economic development.” (KNN Bureau)
Critical areas identified for their support are capacity building of implementing agencies including urban local bodies, technology transfer, technical support, sharing of best sanitation practices and implementation and monitoring, according to an official release.
To this effect, USAID today signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Urban Development while BGMF signed a Memorandum of Cooperation. They were signed in pursuance of the agreements reached during the Summit meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barak Obama in September last year.
Signatories to these Memoranda were Secretary (Urban Development), Shankar Aggarwal, and Country Director of USAID, John Beed, and Country Director, BMGF, Girindre Beehary.
Others present on the occasion were Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu and US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma.
As per the MoU, USAID will assist in knowledge exchange and identification and sharing of best practices for water and sanitation services. This is aimed at effective knowledge transfer enabling more rapid delivery of services. State and City level implementation staff will be provided with necessary skills and incentives to deliver results under Swachh Bharat Mission and National Urban Development Mission for 500 cities and towns.
USAID will also assist in providing targeted, demand driven technical assistance. Under this, performance indicators and city ranking systems will be introduced for incentivizing participation in Swachh Bharat Mission and triggering competition between cities. USAID will provide a broad spectrum technical support to demonstrate a fully functional sanitation system encompassing containment, collection, transport, treatment, reuse and safe disposal of fecal waste in Visakhapatnam.
As far as promoting Public-Private Partnerships are concerned, USAID will assist in creating profile consumer behaviour and identify behaviour changes relating to purchase of toilets and related services besides developing targeted and creative messaging for behaviour changes to increase demand for toilets and supply of sanitation products and services.
In addition, USAID will assist state governments in creating supporting regulatory environment for service providers for operation and maintenance of community and public toilets.
On these activities USAID is likely to spend about USD 2 million per year.
Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, Bill and Milinda Gates Foundation will provide technical and management support and assistance in the implementation of the Mission; and fund a National Level Program Management Unit for coordination of decentralized and non-sewered sanitation solutions.
The Foundation will also award grants to organisations selected by the Ministry for delivering sanitation services; and release grant funds to grantees like NGOs, public or private organisations annually, based on satisfactory performance in respect of milestones specified.
Besides, it will assist in capacity building for planning, project preparation, implementation and management through training and skill development focusing on towns with population of one to five lakhs located along the Ganga river at a cost of USD 2.50 million per year; support IEC and Behaviour change Communications; and extend technology and innovation support for Central Public Health Environmental Engineering Office (CPHEEO) of the Ministry.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Urban Development, Venkaiah Naidu said, “More than funds, changing mindsets of the people towards safe sanitation practices and capacity building of implementing agencies are the key issues to ensure a Clean India. The Government is committed to Walk the Talk to realise the goals set under cleanliness mission in the next five years. US cooperation will go a long way in this regard.”
On the other hand, US Ambassador, Richard Verma said, “India-US cooperation has exciting prospects. On the eleventh day of being in India, I am delighted to be associated with this partnership initiative in the area of sanitation which has significant linkages with economic development.” (KNN Bureau)
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