The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired a meeting to review the progress registered under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in Jammu and Kashmir.Bipul Pathak, Principal Secretary Rural Development Department, Tariq Hussain Ganai, Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), Kishore Singh Chib, Director, Rural Development, Jammu, and Tariq Ahmad Zargar, Director, Rural Development, Kashmir along with concerned officers participated in the meeting.It was informed that Jammu and Kashmir was declared open defecation free (ODF) in September 2018 by constructing 10,91,663 individual household toilets; 3,391 community toilets under phase I of the Mission; and subsequent1,88,919 additional toilets in favour of left out beneficiaries who were not captured in the 2012 survey.The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) phase II is being rolled out as an extension of phase I with a focus on sustaining the ODF status; ensuring village-level solid waste management; and promoting tidiness and cleanliness of the villages.
Besides, focused attention will also be given to the training of PRI members and other stakeholders in scientific sanitation protocols.The Chief Secretary directed the Department to immediately constitute village-level sanitation committees which shall develop respective sanitation plans by 31st October, 2021. The Department was asked to implement sanitation plans in convergence with the MGNREGA scheme to develop infrastructure for scientific solid waste management and associated biogas generation.Dr. Mehta urged the Rural Development Department to evolve a mechanism to ensure convergence between village-level sanitation committees and paani samitees for grey water management and treatment of waste water. Besides, the Department was also asked to undertake extensive IEC campaign to promote various sanitation techniques and bring about a positive behavioural change.This year, the Department will be focusing on implementing suitable mechanisms for village-level waste segregation, scientific solid waste management, greywater management, imposition of ban on plastic use, and ensuring mass participation in the cleanliness campaign.