‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ campaign to provide sustainable sanitation services: Lal Singh

Launches cleanliness, plantation drive at GHSS Mahanpur

          KATHUA, SEPTEMBER 23:  Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology Ch Lal Singh today launched cleanliness drive at Govt. Hr. Sec. School Mahanpur, Basohli reinforcing ‘Swachhta Hi Seva’ (Cleanliness is Service), a nation-wide fortnight-long sanitation campaign to highlight the government’s flagship cleanliness initiative.

The Minister also flagged off a rally and a vehicle displaying Swachh Bharat slogans and messages for bringing awareness and attention to sanitation in local communities. Students, general public, officials and staff of rural Development Department took part in the rally and encouraged people to construct IHHL to achieve the state’s open defecation free target.

          The vehicle will tour the surrounding villages as part of the sanitation campaign, during these days awareness regarding importance of cleanliness and good hygiene practices will be propagated to maximum populace. The campaign will culminate on October 2, 2017.

          Addressing the gathering, the Minister said that our country is fighting a decisive battle for cleanliness and hygiene. Today, all of us shall take an oath to commit ourselves to ensure public hygiene, personal hygiene and environmental hygiene. Cleanliness is not the responsibility of the government only; it is a multi-stakeholder national movement. Together we should make the effort to clean our houses, public places, villages, schools and cities. The aim is all-round cleanliness and hygiene everywhere, with implications for health and sanitation and overall prosperity of our people. Achieving the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) expeditiously will be an appropriate tribute to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

“The objective of the campaign is to mobilize people and reinforce mass movement for sanitation to contribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Clean India,” said Lal Singh.

He also added that the campaign will see large scale mobilization of people from all walks of life to undertake shramdaan (voluntary work) for cleanliness and construction of toilets to make their environments open defecation free besides participation of people will make this an unprecedented people’s campaign having agenda of reaching out to the poor and marginalized people of the society and providing them with sustainable sanitation services.

          Earlier, the Minister kick started several road connectivity projects which include Macadamization of Mahanpur-Basohli road and commencement of work on 2 km Dabatli-Chotra Lahar road. He also reviewed the progress of Hatli-Manu road.

Plantation drive was also launched by the minister in the school premises with unique initiative of not only planting saplings by teachers and students, but will also bear the responsibility of raising the same. The main motive was to ensure maximum care of planted trees besides planting maximum number of saplings to make a significant contribution to environmental conservation.

CCF Jammu, Farooq Gillani, MD SFC S K Gupta, Member Secretary PCB Sameer Bharti, Regional Director PCB Jammu Showkat Choudhary, CF East Jammu Khawaja Qamardin, Joint Director Soil Conservation Kudyar, ACD Rohit Khajuria, DPO, BDOs, Engineers, Tehsildar, Principal, Teachers and Students in large numbers were present on the occasion.