Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Srinagar, July 02 (KINS):The Ministry of Jal Shakti under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen is all set to support the administration in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir to achieve the solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) arrangements in the present FY 2021-22.
Sources told news agency KINS that Implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen Phase 2 in 2021-2022 will see construction of Individual Household toilets (IHHLs), Community toilets.
The Mission is led by Rural Local Bodies and has the reputation of being a unique janandolan on Swachhata in the country.
Sources said that the National Scheme Sanctioning Committee (NSSC) of SBM-G under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti recenty approved the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP).
The National Scheme Sanction Committee comprises representatives of the Ministry of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, representatives from State and other Union territory Governments.
Sources said that the NSSC reviewed the plans of all States and UTs and provided them guidance to intensify implementation as sanitation and hygiene are of paramount importance in the pandemic times.
NSSC emphasized on the effective utilization of Fifteenth Finance tied funds earmarked for sanitation.
Recently the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said that the Central government has built 45,932 individual and 3,069 community toilets in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under various schemes. “1.17 lakh new sewer connections were also constructed. We have launched missions and schemes namely, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) for improvement of sanitation facilities including safe disposal of sanitary waste in urban areas of all States and Union Territories including Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” the ministry said.
The ministry also said that five cities, Anantnag, Jammu and Srinagar, (now in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir) and Leh and Kargil (now in Union Territory of Ladakh, were selected under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme.
The erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, now the union territory of J&K, had attained 100% open defecation free status in September 2018, well before the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) deadline of 2 October 2019.
However, observers believe that the latrine adoption is still lagging in the Jammu and Kashmir Union territory.
One of the officials said that in the past law and order situation in Kashmir, plays a factor for the limited sanitation coverage.
“The model of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to ensure behavioural change among people, to stop open defecation and use toilets is being adopted in the state. But due to law and order situations and security concerns in the past, we could not achieve much success. However, measures are being taken by the government to ensure the construction of individual household latrines (IHHL) in the villages,” the official added.(KINS)
