Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 15: A capacity building workshop was organized by Directorate of Urban Local Bodies (DULB), Jammu for improvement on existing Solid Waste Management system and attainment of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in all 37 Urban Local Bodies, which are under the administrative control of DULB Jammu division.
The workshop was organized in technical support of M/s IPE Global Ltd, Consulting firm for Housing & Urban Development Department for implementation of SWM and ODF under Swachh Bharat Mission & AMRUT Programmes.
The workshop, presided over by Sushma Chauhan- Director DULB Jammu, was attended by Chief Executive Officers and Executive Officers of all 37 Urban Local Bodies. The technical resource person was Dr Bharat B Nagar, Solid Waste Management and Sanitation Expert, who presented detailed scenario of existing Solid Waste Management in the country, with focus on J&K State.
He also shared details of various on-going and planned Solid Waste Management Initiatives of DULB Jammu. A detailed step by step guidance was provided for achieving ODF Status in all 37 ULBs, with focused discussion and brain-storming of mile-stones required to achieve ODF status. The expert shared details of various other pre-requisites, which are required to be implemented prior to facing of ODF Audit for Urban Local Bodies, which is conducted by Quality Council of India.
Sushma Chauhan also shared her views with the participants and stressed that ODF status for ULBs can only be achieved through systematic intervention with active support of citizens and all stake-holders involved in this process. She informed that DULB has started conversion of in-sanitary toilets to sanitary one with exploration of common septic tank and on-site bio-digestor treatment system. She said that portable toilets with in-built digestor treatment system shall also be procured to meet short-fall of community and public toilets and to comply with criteria of Open Defecation Free, prior to its audit. She also declared that a competition shall be initiated among ULBs for achieving ODF status and first ULB achieving this status shall be felicitated by DULB.
She also informed that active efforts are being planned to roll out door to door collection of Solid Waste Management in Kathua, Samba and Udhampur clusters in coming week, after the successfully doing it in Katra. The bidding for establishment of treatment and disposal facilities to Katra, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua was in progress. As part of SBM theme, active participatory approach shall be adopted with active involvement of existing and contractor sanitation staff for inviting suggestion from them to solve various persisting sanitation problems. The best suggestion shall be implemented and long term in-service sanitation staff shall be felicitated, with them rename as Swachhta Doots.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
