“On June 1, 2025, Bihar unveiled a transformative sanitation scheme targeting urban cleanliness in 20 towns. Backed by ₹2,500 crore, the initiative focuses on advanced waste management, public toilets, and behavioral change campaigns. Spearheaded by the Urban Development Department, it aims to make these towns open defecation-free and improve public health, building on the success of Swachh Bharat Mission.”
Bihar Rolls Out Ambitious Sanitation Scheme for Cleaner Towns
On June 1, 2025, the Bihar government launched a groundbreaking sanitation scheme aimed at transforming 20 towns into models of cleanliness and hygiene. With a budget of ₹2,500 crore, the initiative, under the Urban Development and Housing Department, focuses on modernizing waste management systems, expanding public toilet infrastructure, and promoting community-driven behavioral change to sustain open defecation-free (ODF) status. The scheme aligns with the broader objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Phase II, emphasizing sustainable sanitation practices.
The selected towns, including Ara, Begusarai, Bettiah, Buxar, Chhapra, Fatuha, Mokama, Motihari, Raxaul, Sasaram, Siwan, and others, will benefit from advanced faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM) systems. These towns were chosen based on their urban population density and existing sanitation challenges, as highlighted in the 2011 Census, which noted that 52.72% of urban households in Bihar rely on septic tanks, while only 7.21% have sewer connections. The new scheme addresses these gaps by introducing state-of-the-art treatment plants and desludging vehicles to manage faecal waste effectively.
A key component of the initiative is the construction of 1,200 modern public toilets equipped with water-saving technologies and gender-specific facilities. These toilets aim to address the low sanitation coverage in urban Bihar, where only 67.9% of households have access to improved facilities, according to the National Family Health Survey-5 (2021). The government is also investing in solid waste management, with plans to establish 15 new waste-to-compost plants and deploy 500 electric waste collection vehicles to reduce landfill dependency.
To ensure long-term success, the scheme emphasizes community engagement through awareness campaigns modeled on West Bengal’s Nirmal Bangla Mission. Over 1,000 ‘Swachhata Doots’ will be trained to educate residents on proper waste disposal and toilet usage, targeting the 39% of households still practicing open defecation, particularly in smaller towns. The initiative also includes digital monitoring via the SBM mobile app, with geotagged toilets and real-time progress tracking to ensure transparency.
The Urban Development Department has allocated ₹1,200 crore for infrastructure, with the remaining funds directed toward capacity building and public-private partnerships. The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which previously supported sanitation plans in Buxar, Muzaffarpur, Katihar, and Bodhgaya, will provide technical expertise for four additional towns. This builds on their 2018 FSSM guidelines, which helped these towns rank among Bihar’s top five in Swachh Survekshan 2018.
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, speaking at the launch in Patna, emphasized the scheme’s role in improving public health and urban livability. “Our vision is to make Bihar’s towns clean, sustainable, and free from open defecation. This scheme will empower communities and create a healthier environment,” he said. The initiative also integrates with the Namami Gange project, with five towns along the Ganga receiving additional funding for sewerage systems to prevent river pollution.
The scheme has already garnered praise on social media platforms like X, where users are calling it a “game-changer for Bihar’s urban landscape.” However, challenges remain, including the need for consistent funding and overcoming resistance to behavioral change in smaller towns. The government plans to expand the scheme to 50 more towns by 2027, contingent on the success of this initial phase.
Disclaimer: This article is based on information from government announcements, recent sanitation data, and reports from credible sources like the Centre for Science and Environment and the National Family Health Survey. Additional insights were drawn from trending discussions on X and web sources. Readers are advised to verify details with official government portals for the latest updates.