SRINAGAR: Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development Department, Social Welfare and Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash today said that the Government is making efforts to make Jammu and Kashmir free from open-defecation to ensure health and hygiene.
The Minister made these remarks while inaugurating one-day workshop, ‘Open Defecation Free (ODF) Certification’ organized by Directorate of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir at SKICC here today.
She said that the Union Government has come up with a comprehensive scheme for scientific disposal of solid waste, Urban Transport Management and effective and efficient drainage system within specific time frame for their implementation.
She said that prime objective of the Swachh Bharat Mission is to ensure Open Defecation Free Cities and Towns by establishing individual household toilets, community based toilets and public toilets.
It was given out that Housing & Urban Development Department has been given a target of 94091 individual household toilets against which 78235 applications have been received and 33987 has been approved for construction. The remaining 450900 are under the process of verification. It was said that the programme has been designed to achieve pre- determined objectives by the end of 2019.
Ms Naqash while appreciating the efforts made by the Directorate of Urban Local Bodies Kashmir, stressed for generating awareness among masses about the significance of having proper sanitation facilities so that the State is made open-defecation free within the stipulated time.