Srinagar, Aug 1 (FN Agency) J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the 15-day long Swachhta Pakhwada ‘The Shuchita Sangram’ campaign at Srinagar on wednesday. At the opening ceremony of the campaign, the Lt Governor felicitated Safaimitras and lauded the significant contribution of Sanitation workers, citizens and all other stakeholders in Swachhta Abhiyan. “Swachhta Pakhwada is not just a campaign, it is a movement that embodies the spirit of a clean and healthy India which is inspired by the vision of Pujya Bapu and aims to instil a sense of responsibility and commitment towards maintaining cleanliness in our surroundings,” the Lt Governor said. Highlighting cleanliness drives planned under Swachhta Pakhwada, the Lt Governor said the major thrust during the campaign will be on the cleanliness of 186 identified tourist places in the J&K, jointly by the Department of Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development and Tourism Department. The Lt Governor emphasised on capacity building of Panchayat Secretaries and village-level workers and IEC campaign towards behaviour change for success of the mission. He directed the officials to focus on public awareness, particularly among students, about waste management, segregation, and its environmental impact.
The Lt Governor further stressed on encouraging community participation through initiatives like Swachhta Banks and compost-making at household level. Speaking on the exceptional work done by Jammu Kashmir in Swachh Bharat Mission (G), the Lt Governor said the biggest challenge now is to sustain the efforts and maintain the infrastructures that have been created to ensure that J&K achieve the cleanest UT rank in the country. On the occasion, the Lt Governor gave four resolutions to the citizens of Jammu Kashmir- Villages and Wards should be Clean, Healthy, Green and there should be sufficient water in our Villages and Wards. He appealed to the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir to participate enthusiastically in the Swachhta Pakhwada and work towards promoting the use of safe sanitation practices and ensuring proper disposal of liquid and solid waste. “It is our collective responsibility that the home we live in, the office we work in, and our places of worship are clean”, the Lt Governor said.