Centre reviews progress of Swachh Bharat Mission in U’khand
By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 5 Feb: Jitendra Shrivastava, Joint Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, conducted a review meeting on the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) at the Secretariat with the Secretary, Drinking Water, Uttarakhand Government, and other officials. Shrivastava is on a two-day visit to Uttarakhand.
During the review of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), the Joint Secretary emphasised upon the need to ensure 100 percent toilet coverage and solid waste management at the village level in rural areas of the state. He also stressed the importance of proper maintenance and operation of existing sanitation infrastructure. To ensure sustainability, he suggested the implementation of user charges at the village level and the formulation of village-level sanitation plans.
Uttarakhand officials informed the Union Joint Secretary that the completion of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase 2 had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other factors. Consequently, the mission’s duration has been extended by one year until 2025-26. The officials also informed that Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase 3 is expected to be approved from 2026-27.
The meeting was attended amongst others by Secretary, Drinking Water, Shailesh Bagauli, Director, Swajal, Yugal Kishore Pant, Joint Director, Panchayati Raj, Himali Joshi, and Unit Coordinators of Swajal, Sunil Tiwari and Anuj Kaushik, among other officials.
