Toilet Blocks on Katra to Bhawan tracks being upgraded

Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Mar 11: On the direction of Governor N N Vohra, Chairman of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, a phased time bound programme for the renovation and upgradation of all Toilet Blocks on the tracks from Katra to Bhawan has been undertaken to improve sanitation and cleanliness in the Shrine area, besides providing superior facilities to the pilgrims.
In a review meeting, held today, Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Chief Executive Officer of the Board, informed that the renovation and upgradation of 36 Toilet Blocks had been taken up at an estimated cost of about Rs 3.5 crore and, as today, the renovation of 30 Toilet Blocks has been completed at an expenditure of over Rs. 3.11 crore. The renovation and upgradation of the remaining 6 Toilet Blocks will be completed by May 2017.
The renovated Toilets Blocks are located at Darshani Deodi, Banganga, near Pushpanjali Medical Unit, Charan Paduka, near Sameer View Point, Adhkuwari, Hathimatha, Sanjichhat, Bhai-ron Complex, Bhawan, Himkoti Marg, Panchhi View Point and at Sanjichhat Helipad.
Sahu informed that modern technology has been utilised in the renovation, upgradation, alteration and in adding new facilities in the Toilet Blocks so that they are kept most neat and clean and well maintained 24X7. An Annual Maintenance Plan has also been formulated for ensuring satisfactory upkeep of the Toilet Blocks, some of which have been equipped with Western style seats to meet the requirements of the senior citizens and handicapped persons. All the Toilet Blocks at Bhawan have been connected to the 3.2 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant and the construction of new Sewage Treatment Plants to serve the remaining Toilet Blocks is in progress. Some Toilet Blocks are being connected with stand-alone packaged STPs as connecting these blocks with regular STPs is not geographically and otherwise feasible.
CEO further stated that tenders have been invited for constructing 400 KLD STP based on MBBR technology at Adhkuwari and the STPs at Trikuta Bhawan at Katra and Saraswati Dham at Jammu are fully functional. One STP at Niharika Complex at Katra is also under construction and shall be completed by June this year. Besides, bio-remediation technology is also being tested in one Toilet Block in Banganga to treat the sewage effluents.  Sahu explained that all these ecofriendly efforts of the Board are aimed to ensure protection of environment and ecology and saving of valuable resources.
The CEO invited all pilgrims to inform him if they face any difficulty or inconvenience in using the toilets and has also solicited their suggestions for further facilities along the tracks.

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