Secy RDD calls for sustainable sanitation systems in villages, tourist and religious destinations

Jammu: The Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen, a flagship program under the Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj having achieved the ODF status will focus on creating sustainable assets in villages, empowering and supporting local communities for cleanliness process besides development more than 300 locations of religious and tourism important as destinations of importance.
Secretary, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary urged officials to prioritize practicality and realism in the planning and execution of Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) initiatives across Jammu and Kashmir, and putting concerted efforts for ground level planning and monitoring. He underscored SBM-G as top priority of the government, calling for a pragmatic approach to enhance the effectiveness of SBM.
During a review meeting of the SBM, the Secretary underscored the importance of ensuring the operational efficiency and maintenance of various waste management plants, including solid waste, liquid waste, GOBARdhan, plastic waste, greywater, and waste treatment plants.
He stressed that planning for the construction of these plants should align with the availability of essential infrastructure such as roads and electricity, preventing scenarios where assets are constructed without proper accessibility. He also highlighted the need to engage with power development department in this regard for realistic planning.
Regarding the procurement of vehicles for waste collection, Dr Shahid urged the uniform distribution of assets and resources. The proposal for sanitation fee was also deliberated upon and concerned officials were asked for taking into account the population, geographical location, quantum of waste , disposal facilities and other parameters into account for a realistic and sustainable policy.
Stressing on the need to build Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs) at tourist and religious places, national highways, he said that a review of land availability should be taken before building such assets.
Secretary also asked the department for effective and advance planning for sanitation on the both the routes of Amarnath Yatra as an initiative of importance. He emphasised for climate resilient measures aimed also at scientific sanitation interventions for smooth conduct of Yatra.
Dr Shahid emphasized the matching of targets for individual household toilets under PMAY-G and SBM, emphasizing the construction of individual toilets in every house built under PMAY-G. He stressed the importance of considering this aspect and setting targets accordingly. The discussion also covered detailed planning for future projects.
Anoo Malhotra, the Director-General, Rural Sanitation J&K, provided a comprehensive overview of the SBM progress during a detailed presentation.
She reiterated her dedication to realizing the ambitious objectives established by the Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin. She also gave an overview of Annual Implementation Plan proposed for 2024-25 and priorities being focused by the department over the last quarter of current financial year.
The meeting was also attended by Joint Director Planning, Kamal Kumar Sharma and other officers.