Bhubaneswar: The Centre has asked Odisha Government to ensure high levels of cleanliness during upcoming RathaJatra in Puri.
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has advised the State Government in this regard in categorical terms.
National Team of MoHUA will be visiting Puri soon to take stock of arrangements, sources said.
Union Secretary Housing and urban Affairs Manoj Joshi has written to Chief Secretary Odisha S C Mahapatra in the regards.
The communication from MoHUA specifies various initiatives to be taken for sanitation and waste management.
The State Government have been requested to provide for sufficient numbers of public toilets for both men and women throughout the approach roads to the Shrine, and ensure that that they are kept clean, hygienic and usable at all times.
All eateries along the approach roads will need to be sensitized about garbage collection, in-situ processing of the food waste through waste to compost / waste to bio-gas units in their premises, usage of bio-degradable cutlery and bags.
MoHUA has also asked the States of Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir to take urgent steps to ensure that the on-going KedarnathYatra and upcoming AmarnathJatraare conducted in a manner so as to ensure high levels of cleanliness.
In this regard, Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) Mr.Joshi has written to the Chief Secretaries of Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir.
The advisory suggests that plastics and SUPs should be stopped at the base-camp level for Kedarnath and AmarnathJatris 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 of the same.
Most importantly, the advisory stresses on large scale people participation, whereby all local NGOs/ CSOs/ voluntary organisations, 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 that cleanliness is maintained at every step.
Local swachhata brand ambassadors are to be identified and designated for the ‘swachhyatra’, and spread the messages of cleanliness etc, to motivate visitors to behave responsibly and help in maintaining ‘swachhata’.
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.
Video-conferencing meeting has been scheduled early next week to discuss with State, city and district officials to discuss the preparedness.
Prime Minister NarendraModi, in his 89th Mann Ki Baat address to the nation on 29 May 2022, had expressed his concern regarding the heap of filth in Kedarnath. He made an appeal for maintaining the dignity of these pilgrimage sites through purity and cleanliness, as it is imperative that we abide by the resolution of cleanliness.
Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban, being implemented by MoHUA, is committed to create “Garbage Free Cities” through comprehensive sanitation measures, and safe management of solid and liquid waste in all statutory towns in the country. Centers of Pilgrims and Heritage where the footfalls are higher are taken up on priority under the Mission.