The Chief Secretary, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam today chaired the 7th meeting of State Level Apex Committee (SLAC) on Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) and reviewed progress made under the scheme.Administrative Secretaries of departments of Housing & Urban Development, Jal Shakti, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Commissioners, Municipal Corporations, Jammu/Srinagar along with Directors, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu/ Kashmir participated in the meeting.It was informed that the Swachh Bharat Mission aims to eliminate open defecation, scientific disposal of solid waste and bringing effective behavioural change regarding healthy sanitation practices through five components of Individual Household Toilets (IHHTs), Community Toilets/Public Toilets (CT/PTs), scientific solid waste management, IEC activities, and capacity-building measures.To reinforce the momentum achieved by the Housing & Urban Development Department under the vision of SBM, the State Level Apex Committee approved the revised target of 51,232 Individual Household Toilet (IHHT) Units across all the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Jammu and Kashmir along with the revised target of 2757 Community Toilets/Public Toilets. It also approved procurement of 30 mobile toilets by Directorate ULB Jammu and Jammu Municipal Corporation at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.77 crore.
The Committee further approved the action plan for establishing de-centralized solid waste management facilities in 76 ULBs at an estimated cost of Rs. 404.52 crore over the next five years. The new concept of decentralized waste management is based on scientific segregation of wet and dry waste at the household level followed by door-to-door waste collection and transportation to waste management centres. The segregated waste is proposed to be appropriately disposed of and recycled on scientific lines with linkages for generating non-conventional renewable energy in the form of Compressed Natural Gas.Later, the Chief Secretary chaired the 7th meeting of the State Level High Power Steering Committee (SLHPSC) for implementation of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).The Committee reviewed the progress of projects under AMRUT in Jammu, Srinagar and Anantnag which are at various stages of completion, and approved various new projects including the construction of stormwater drainage at Hamdania Colony, drainage network in Digiana and up-gradation of drainage in JMC.The Committee also gave its nod for change of location of the proposed cycle track in Srinagar City; from Shivpora to Batwara.The meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretaries of departments of Housing & Urban Development, Transport, Forest, Environment & Ecology, Jal Shakti, Commissioners, Municipal Corporations, Jammu/Srinagar along with Directors, Urban Local Bodies, Jammu/ Kashmir participated in the meeting.