Over 5,000 citizens participated across Jammu Division
Jammu : The Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Jammu, under the leadership of Director Kapil Sharma, has successfully conducted the “Swachhata Sankalp” Campaign across the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Jammu Division.
With active coordination of the concerned Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Executive Officers (EOs), the campaign covered Municipal Councils/Committee Billawar, Kathua, Samba, Vijaypur, Bari Brahmana, R.S. Pura, Katra, Reasi, Akhnoor, Sunderbani, Nowshera, Surankote, Udhampur, Batote, Ramban, Doda and Bhaderwah.
The campaign witnessed participation of more than 5,000 individuals, including students, government officials, prominent citizens, concerned MLAs, NGO representatives and local residents, taking part in cleanliness drives, awareness programmes, Swachhata pledges and rallies.
A special focus of the campaign was placed on the core messages of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban-keeping surroundings clean, proper management of wet and dry waste, responsible disposal of waste and encouraging citizens to take collective responsibility for cleanliness.
One of the major components of the campaign was the Green Initiative, through which citizens, shopkeepers, students and local residents were sensitised to the harmful effects of polythene and single-use plastic.
Over 2,000 reusable jute bags were distributed among local residents and participants to encourage the adoption of environmentally friendly alternatives and reduce dependence on single-use plastic.
The campaign also promoted awareness regarding wet and dry waste segregation, cleanliness of public spaces and responsible citizen behaviour.
Schools across the participating ULBs responded positively to the initiative. A large number of schoolchildren participated in the awareness activities, rallies, cleanliness drives and Swachhata pledges. The campaign provided students an opportunity to understand the importance of cleanliness, waste segregation, environmental protection and their role as responsible citizens.
The active participation of district administration, local administration, government officials, NGOs, prominent citizens, market representatives and local residents further strengthened the campaign and ensured wider community outreach.
To supplement the field-level activities, the Directorate also undertook a Radio Awareness Campaign through FM Radio Channels, carrying messages on Swachh Bharat Mission, cleanliness, sanitation, waste segregation, prevention of single-use plastic and responsible citizen participation.
The radio campaign helped extend the reach of the Swachhata Sankalp message beyond the physical campaign locations and enabled awareness messages to reach the wider population across the concerned ULBs.
Speaking on the successful culmination of the campaign, Kapil Sharma emphasised that cleanliness cannot be achieved by municipal bodies alone as it requires continuous participation and collective responsibility of citizens, schools, local institutions, NGOs and the administration.
He appreciated the efforts of all the CEOs/EOs and field teams for successfully implementing the campaign across all 17 ULBs and for bringing together students, government officials, NGOs, prominent citizens and local communities on a common platform for cleanliness and environmental awareness.
The Director stressed that the Swachhata Sankalp Campaign is not merely a one-day cleanliness activity but an effort to develop sustained behavioural change among citizens, particularly with regard to waste segregation, prevention of littering, elimination of single-use plastic and proper use of public sanitation facilities.
The successful implementation of the campaign across ULBs has further strengthened the Directorate’s commitment towards Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0, Swachh Survekshan, environmental protection and sustainable urban sanitation across Jammu Division.
