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Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin Phase 2 — From Open Defecation Free to ODF Plus

Last verified: May 2026 · 7 min read · JaBaSu Knowledge Commons

At a Glance

Parameter	Detail
Full Name	Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G) Phase II
Phase I	2014 to October 2019 — achieved ODF status (100 million toilets built)
Phase II	2020-21 to 2024-25 (with continued activity)
Nodal Ministry	Ministry of Jal Shakti, Dept. of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS)
Status	Active — ODF Plus drive continuing
Phase II Outlay	Rs. 1.40-1.41 lakh crore (convergence with 15th FC, MGNREGS, etc.)
ODF Plus villages (national)	Over 4.43 lakh villages declared ODF Plus (approx. 75% nationally)
Open defecation rate (2024)	11% in rural areas (WHO/UNICEF JMP 2025 update)
Budget 2024-25 (SBM-G)	Rs. 7,192 crore (Central allocation)
Official portal	sbm.gov.in / swachhbharatmission.ddws.gov.in
Toilet incentive	Rs. 15,000 per Individual Household Latrine (IHHL)

Critical for Odisha NGOs: Multiple reports document that in Odisha, hundreds of beneficiaries have filed complaints that SBM money was siphoned off without constructing toilets. The government's own data shows constructed toilets that are not used. Phase II's ODF Plus work — which focuses on sustained behaviour change and waste management, not just construction — is the response to these Phase I implementation failures.

What Is It?

Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin Phase II is the sanitation continuation programme that succeeded the original 2014-2019 Open Defecation Free mission. Where Phase I focused on toilet construction — building over 100 million Individual Household Latrines (IHHLs) to eliminate open defecation — Phase II focuses on sustaining ODF behaviour and creating ODF Plus villages that manage solid and liquid waste comprehensively.

An ODF Plus village is one that has:

Sustained ODF status (toilets built AND being used — both conditions)
Implemented at least one component of Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM)

ODF Plus has three progressive categories: ODF Plus Aspiring (ODF sustained + visible cleanliness), ODF Plus Rising (ODF sustained + one SLWM component), and ODF Plus Model (ODF sustained + all SLWM components + no open drains or garbage heaps).

Nationally, over 4.43 lakh villages (approximately 75%) have declared ODF Plus status. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) 2025 update records India's rural open defecation rate at 11% — down from near-universal open defecation in 2014. While India's trajectory is remarkable in historical perspective, 11% rural open defecation in 2024 still represents tens of millions of people, concentrated in the states — including Odisha — with the most persistent gaps.

Phase II Components — What ODF Plus Actually Means on the Ground

1. Sustaining ODF Status — Behaviour Change

The hardest part of Phase II is not building more toilets. It is ensuring the toilets built in Phase I are actually used, and that new households forming or migrating into villages have functional toilets. "Constructed but not used" was Phase I's most documented failure — particularly in tribal areas where open defecation has cultural dimensions that toilet construction alone does not address.

Phase II requires Gram Panchayats to formally resolve that all households use toilets, conduct regular community verification, and use social accountability mechanisms (community-led total sanitation approaches) to sustain behaviour change.

2. Solid Waste Management (SWM)

Segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste at household level; composting of wet waste (compost pits, vermicompost units); safe disposal of dry waste; plastic waste management. Gram Panchayats must establish a village-level waste collection and processing system. GOBARdhan (Galvanising Organic Bio-Agro Resources) — the biogas component — converts cattle dung and agricultural waste into Compressed Biogas (CBG) and organic manure, providing both energy and SHG income.

3. Liquid Waste Management (LWM)

Greywater (from kitchen, bathing, and washing) management through soak pits, waste stabilisation ponds, and constructed wetlands. Preventing greywater from flowing into open drains, roads, and water bodies. Septage (from toilet pits) management — a more complex but critical component for health and groundwater protection.

4. Faecal Sludge Management (FSM)

Management of the accumulated waste in toilet pits — either through pit emptying services (mechanised desludging trucks or manual services) or through twin-pit design that enables safe composting of one pit while the other is in use. FSM is the most technically underdeveloped component of SBM-G Phase II, particularly in tribal areas where single-pit toilets are the norm.

The Toilet Incentive — Rs. 15,000 per IHHL

For newly identified households without toilets — "left-out" or newly-formed households not covered in Phase I — Phase II continues to provide toilet construction assistance of Rs. 15,000 per Individual Household Latrine (IHHL). Payment is via DBT to the beneficiary's Aadhaar-linked bank account in two installments:

First installment: After pit excavation/slab laying
Second installment: After completion of the toilet superstructure

Priority for toilet assistance:

BPL families (Below Poverty Line)
SC/ST families
Persons with disabilities
Landless agricultural labourers
Women-headed households

Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs)

Where individual household toilets are not feasible (dense habitations, flats, homeless populations), SBM-G Phase II provides funding for Community Sanitary Complexes — with Gram Panchayat contributing 30% from their 15th Finance Commission grants for O&M, while the Central share covers construction. CSCs must include separate blocks for men and women, and must have an O&M arrangement (typically a local SHG) before they are operational.

What NGOs Need to Know — the Practical Reality

"ODF declared" ≠ "ODF achieved." Odisha's SBM-G history includes documented cases of ghost toilet construction — funds disbursed, toilets not built, or substandard structures built without plumbing or water access. In tribal areas, the gap between declaration and reality is widest. NGOs can conduct simple community-level ODF verification — visiting a sample of households to check toilet existence, condition, and usage — and formally sharing findings with gram panchayat sarpanch and the Block Development Officer.

Tribal communities need a culturally informed approach — not just construction. For PVTG communities and other tribal groups whose ancestral land-based sanitation practices are rooted in deep ecological relationships with forest environments, toilet adoption requires community engagement, not just construction. NGOs with deep community relationships and cultural competence are the only actors positioned to bridge this gap. Rushed ODF declarations in PVTG areas — without genuine behaviour change — produce the worst outcomes.

The SHG-GOBARdhan connection is the economic opportunity. Mission Shakti SHGs in Odisha can access SBM-G convergence funds to establish GOBARdhan biogas units at the community level — processing cattle dung into cooking gas for households and organic slurry for agriculture. A well-managed community biogas plant serves both sanitation (reducing organic waste) and livelihood (gas and fertiliser income) goals. NGOs can facilitate SHG-GOBARdhan applications through the GP and BDO.

The Odisha toilet siphoning scandal requires proactive NGO documentation. Wikipedia's SBM article specifically documents that in Odisha "hundreds of beneficiaries have filed complaints that money was siphoned off without constructing the toilets." This is a known and documented problem, not a rumour. NGOs working in areas where toilet incentive money was disbursed but toilets not built can help affected families file formal complaints at the Block Office and through the SBM grievance portal — and document cases for formal escalation.

Phase II convergence with JJM creates the WASH opportunity. SBM-G's ODF Plus Model status requires both solid waste management AND liquid waste management. Liquid waste management requires water — which is why JJM's piped water supply is a prerequisite for quality ODF Plus outcomes. The SBM-JJM convergence is explicit in government policy, but fragmented in implementation. NGOs can facilitate joint planning between the GP's water committee (GPWSC) and sanitation committee for integrated WASH programming.

How JaBaSu Helps NGOs Connect Their Communities

ODF verification and documentation JaBaSu helps partner NGOs conduct simple community verification of ODF status — using a structured tool to document toilet existence, condition, usage, and Gram Panchayat awareness of non-users — and formally share verified data with the BDO and district SBM coordinator.

Toilet siphoning grievance support For communities in partner NGO areas where SBM toilet incentive money was disbursed but toilets not constructed, JaBaSu helps prepare and submit formal written complaints to the BDO, the Collector's grievance cell, and the state-level SBM programme office.

SHG-GOBARdhan facilitation JaBaSu connects Mission Shakti SHGs in partner communities with the GOBARdhan application and implementation pathway — including Block Development Officer interface, biogas unit technical specifications, and O&M training support.

Gram Panchayat ODF Plus planning support JaBaSu provides partner NGOs with the ODF Plus assessment framework and the Gram Panchayat resolution template — helping GPs plan their ODF Plus journey with a realistic, community-validated action plan.