After cleanliness blunder at Kedarnath, Swachh Teerth on govt priority

New Delhi, Jun 4: In lines with Swachh Teerth and through a recent advisory issued, the Centre has asked the states of Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, and Odisha to take urgent steps to ensure that the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra and upcoming Amarnath Yatra and Rath Yatra are conducted with assurance of high levels of cleanliness.

 

 

 

 

The notice issued by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, specifies various initiatives to be taken for sanitation and waste management. The states have been requested to provide for sufficient numbers of public toilets for both men and women throughout the approach roads to the Shrines, and ensure that that they are kept clean, hygienic and usable at all times. All eateries along the approach roads are required to be sensitized about garbage collection, in-situ processing of the food waste through waste to compost and waste to bio-gas units in their premises, usage of bio-degradable cutlery and bags.

 

 

 

 

 

The advisory suggests that plastics and SUPs should be stopped at the base-camp level for Kedarnath and Amarnath yatris at the time of registration itself. In order to prevent indiscriminate littering by visitors, segregated litter bins will have to be placed along the approach roads, along with regular emptying. Most importantly, the advisory stresses on large scale people participation, whereby all local NGOs, CSOs, voluntary organizations and self-help groups from all villages and towns on the approach roads are to be identified, sensitized and tagged to work in designated area to ensure cleanliness.

 

National teams from MoHUA are being deputed to Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Odisha starting this week to take stock of the preparations underway and also to provide inputs for improving sanitation and garbage management.