Union Joint Secretary and Mission Director SBM-G, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Jitendra Srivastava, today conducted an extensive visit to Udhampur and Reasi districts to review and enhance ongoing sanitation initiatives under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G). During the visit, the Joint Secretary interacted with the locals and discussed about the initiatives being taken up by the department under SBM-G.
He emphasised the need for further strengthening the process of waste collection from household and commercial establishments. In Udhampur district, Srivastava inspected the community compost pit in Upper Kud panchayat to evaluate its operational functionality.
He then visited the segregation shed at Sudh Mahadev panchayat to assess its working. While interacting with the officials of collection agency, Shri Srivastava gained a thorough understanding of the waste collection processes from the panchayat and its subsequent disposal.
He emphasized that there is a need to replicate such business models in other panchayats to ensure widespread sustainable waste management. Furthermore, Srivastava proposed construction of two to three large Plastic Waste Management Units (PWMUs) using available funds to service multiple blocks efficiently.
The visit concluded with holding a community meeting in Sudh Mahadev panchayat, where he engaged with locals and officials to discuss plans for improving sanitation infrastructure. In Reasi district, at Agar jito, Katra, Shri Srivastava directed the officials to work in convergence with SBM Urban to implement ban on single-use plastics, aiming to make Katra a plastic waste-free zone.
He emphasized on developing initiatives that promote waste to wealth and enhance economic generation opportunities. Srivastava also interacted with President Hotel and Restaurant Association Katra Rakesh Wazir, Chairman Sham Lal Kesar, Executive Member Bharat Bhushan, Chamber of Commerce, Katra President and Senior Vice President HRAK, Virender Kesar and ADC Reasi to promote Swachhata Green Leaf Rating (SGLR) initiative to enhance a competitive spirit in terms of sanitation among hospitality sector.
Director General Rural Sanitation J&K, Anoo Malhotra, Deputy Director Rural Sanitation Jammu, Sanna Khan and other senior officers actively participated in the discussions and site visits.