Telangana won the first prize under the Large States category under Swachh Survekshan Gramin (SSG) 2022 which looked into the sanitation status of rural areas, Haryana was adjudged the second and Tamil Nadu the third. Giving away the awards on Sunday, President Droupadi Murmu said that the Swach Bharat Abhiyan that had brought in a wholescale behavioural change in the populace acted as a shield during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Swachh Survekshan Gramin-2022 award ranks States and districts on the basis of their performance attained on key quantitative and qualitative Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G) parameters and engagement of the rural community in the improvement of their sanitation status. Among the smaller States and Union territories, Andaman and Nicobar secured the first position followed by Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Sikkim.
“Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin is a movement to bring in behaviourial change in our populace. The use of toilets, the habit of washing hands with soap and having water supply via taps acted as a shield for the country during the pandemic,” Ms. Murmu said.
