Role of communication strategies in swachh bharat abhiyan: A study of Jharsa Village, Gurugram

Abstract

‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ the flagship initiative of Prime Minister Narender Modi led BJP Government was launched on 2nd October 2014. It was marked to celebrate 145th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The aim of the SBA is to provide sanitation facilities to every family which includes toilets, solid and liquid waste disposal systems, village cleanliness, and ensure safe and adequate drinking water supply for one and all by 2nd October 2019. Gurugram is home to more than 250 Fortune 500 companies and state of the art commercial and residential spaces but in 2017 survey it was ranked 105th in the latest Swachh Survekshan survey. The government is leting no stone unturned in order to make city to figure among top 15 cities in this edition. The projects discussed by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) include strategies for open defecation, solid waste management, door-to-door waste collection, sweeping, collection and transportation of waste and public, community and individual toilet provisions. The government is using various communication stratigies and tools to create awareness about the projects among the people in order to ensure clean and healthy city. The objectives of the study are i) To explore the types of communication strategies used to promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, ii) To find out the role of communication strategies in influencing the people of the Jharsa Village in maintaining cleanliness and iii) To assess the impact of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in Jharsa village. The study is an exploratory and primary data was collected through survey using schedule. The findings will help undersatnd the role of communication in Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and help understand ground reality of the project. The study will highlight the best practcies adopted by the government in order to promote Swachch Bharat Abhiyan and help suggest changes in the present policies.