SRINAGAR: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, reviewed the districts today that were falling behind in designating their villages as “Model Category” under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) Grameen, in light of the approaching Independence Day. According to the specifications of the programme, the government hopes to proclaim the entire UT ODF+ by the 15th of August. To date, it has been successful in registering a progress of over 96%, with the remaining villages to be covered by Independence Day.Deputy Commissioners from Baramulla, Kupwara, Kishtwar, and Reasi, as well as the Director of Rural Sanitation and other relevant Departmental officers, also attended the meeting. Dr Mehta instructed the authorities to do a “Quality Check (QC)” before designating the villages as Model category ODF+ under SBM (G) on this occasion. He urged them to consider the advice of the relevant “Prabhari Officers” and local Sarpanchs before designating any hamlet as ODF+ category.He urged them to double-check the availability of all necessary facilities, including garbage collection, liquid waste treatment, legacy waste removal, segregation shed availability, and visual cleanliness of the surrounding area, before making this determination. The Chief Secretary also pointed out that maintaining cleanliness requires a long-term shift in peoples’ attitudes. He implied that people ought to expect cleanliness and that efforts shouldn’t cease, even though it is winter here. Dr. Mehta was grateful for the Rural Sanitation Department’s contribution in making it happen so quickly. He claimed that although it appeared impossible at times to do this challenging assignment in this amount of time, everyone’s combined efforts were successful in making it happen, which is extremely commendable. He instructed them to hold “Swachhta Rallies” in these concerned Panchayats on Independence Day in order to raise awareness of the issue and to include both women and young people in these rallies. Mandeep Kaur, the RDD Commissioner Secretary, stated that the Department is putting up all effort to maintain this programme in every village at the time. In addition to providing household latrines and soak pits/composit pits, she claimed that daily waste collection had already begun in each of these settlements.According to her, each village’s sanitation is now a reality thanks to aggressive enforcement. The Director of Rural Sanitation, Charandeep Singh, reminded the audience during his presentation that J&K is currently ranked among the top three States/UTs in the nation according to the ODF Model, with a percentage of more than 96%. Out of the 6650 villages, he stated that 6399 have already attained the status of Model category, and the remaining villages will do the same before this month’s 15th, as promised by each of the Deputy Commissioners of the UT.
