New Delhi: On Wednesday (January 9), while addressing a gathering at a workshop on ‘Solid Waste Management in Ganga Towns’ in New Delhi, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, said “83 out of the 97 Ganga towns have already achieved ODF (open defecation free) status, of which 44 have been certified ODF through third-party verification. It is expected that all Ganga towns will achieve ODF status by March 2019.”
"83 out of the 97 Ganga towns have already achieved ODF status, of which 44 have been certified ODF through third-party verification. It is expected that all Ganga towns will achieve ODF status by March 2019." – MoS H&UA @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/PmIyv3k4xd
— Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (@MoHUA_India) January 9, 2019
Shifting its focus from eradicating open defecation in Ganga towns to managing solid and liquid waste in these towns and highlighting the ministry’s seriousness towards rejuvenating Ganga through its flagship programme Namami Gange, Mr Puri said, “MoHUA is supporting the Ganga towns in achieving ODF status and for Solid Waste and Liquid Waste Management projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) respectively.”
"MoHUA is supporting the Ganga towns in achieving ODF status and for Solid Waste and Liquid Waste Management projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and AMRUT respectively." – MoS H&UA @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/Qhf6eE9aPP
— Swachh Bharat Urban (@SwachhBharatGov) January 9, 2019
Also Read: Namami Gange: International Workshop On River Basin Management Held In New Delhi
All Ganga towns have been directed to implement scientific solid waste management. To assess the on-ground situation in these towns, the ministry has deployed Quality Council of India (QCI), a third party agency.
At the workshop, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), released results of independent assessment of ghats in 97 Ganga towns carried out by QCI.
.@MoHUA_India releases results of independent assessment of Ghats in 97 Ganga Towns carried out by the QCI. The assessment results were released in the presence of Sh. D. S. Mishra, Sec., MoHUA and Sh. U. P. Singh, Sec., @mowrrdgr in the Workshop on Solid Waste Management. pic.twitter.com/tWcVzaLHRm
— QCI #WearAMask (@QualityCouncil) January 9, 2019
The findings by QCI presented at the workshop advocated installing bar screens on drains falling into the Ganga to prevent solid waste flowing into the river, river surface cleaning and waste disposal arrangements among others.
Also Read: Ganga Clean Up: A Task Force Helps Clean The River In Pryagraj
Ganga Towns To Compete In Swachh Survekshan 2019
Swachh Survekshan 2019, what the government claims to be the world’s largest cleanliness survey to assess cities of India on their swachh quotient, will also cover 97 Ganga towns this year. At the workshop, Housing and Urban Affairs Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra announced a special category of awards for Ganga towns under Swachh Survekshan 2019. A protocol for this special category of award will also be issued shortly by the ministry, he said.
Also Read: Government Launches 100% Digital Swachh Survekshan 2019, Here Are Five Things To Know
The fourth edition of the annual cleanliness survey conducted by MoHUA started on January 4 and will continue till January 31, covering 4,237 towns and cities and 62 Cantonment Boards, impacting around 40 crore people.
Shri D.S. Mishra, @Secretary_MoHUA, announced a special category of awards for Ganga towns in #SwachhSurvekshan2019 at the Workshop on Solid Waste Management in Ganga Town. #MyCleanIndia #SwachhBharat pic.twitter.com/OTbCvWQYcm
— Swachh Bharat Urban (@SwachhBharatGov) January 9, 2019
Also Read: 254 projects sanctioned for Ganga rejuvenation; major changes in 2019: Nitin Gadkari
Lauding the efforts of the citizens and the government representatives, Mr Puri, said, “I believe that the secret to the success of the Mission whether it is the Ganga Mission or the Swachh Bharat Mission encompassing the whole country lies in the synergy between the elected representative and the Commissioner of the city.”
"I believe that the secret to the success of the Mission whether it is the Ganga Mission or the Swachh Bharat Mission encompassing the whole country lies in the synergy between the elected representative and the Commissioner of the city." – MoS H&UA @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/3JKgQ4d554
— Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (@MoHUA_India) January 9, 2019
Recognising the citizen participation in achieving the dream of ODF India by October 2019, Mr Puri said, “Today, the tide has turned. What started as a Government programme has become a ‘Jan Andolan’. People and young children have embraced the Prime Minister’s idea like no other. Literally, societal awakening is taking place.”
"Today, the tide has turned. What started as a Government programme has become a ‘Jan Andolan’. People and young children have embraced the Prime Minister’s idea like no other. Literally, societal awakening is taking place." – MoS H&UA @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/C1abIldR6R
— Swachh Bharat Urban (@SwachhBharatGov) January 9, 2019
“People are becoming conscious of the need to process waste into compost, to segregate waste and towards the fact that waste constitutes wealth”, said the minister.
“People are becoming conscious of the need to process waste into compost, to segregate waste and towards the fact that waste constitutes wealth” – MoS H&UA @HardeepSPuri pic.twitter.com/bitBLjKM96
— Swachh Bharat Urban (@SwachhBharatGov) January 9, 2019
NDTV – Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign lends support to the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, the campaign aims to spread awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the importance of building toilets and making India open defecation free (ODF) by October 2019, a target set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he launched Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in 2014. Over the years, the campaign has widened its scope to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and menstrual hygiene. The campaign has also focused extensively on marine pollution, clean Ganga Project and rejuvenation of Yamuna, two of India’s major river bodies.
