Srinagar: The State Government on Thursday declared three districts of the state Open Defecation Free under the Centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM).
Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Abdul Haq, declared Srinagar, Leh and Kargil as Open Defecation Free Districts after the DCs of Respective Districts presented Declaration Certificates to the Minister in a function organized at Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Congratulating the residents of Srinagar, Leh and KArgil, Abdul Haq said he was happy to declare these districts ODF and stressed on the need to become part of the people’s movement so that the goal of making whole state Open Defecation Free well before the set target of 2nd October, 2019.
He said the three districts have set a challenge for other districts and hoped that the officials and the people of other districts will accept the challenge and will work with dedication to make their respective districts Open Defecation Free.
Abdul Haq said the people of the state have more responsibility to make the valley clean and assist government in doing so as the valley is called as the Paradise on Earth. He said the Department of Rural Development is leading from the front in making the valley Paradise in real sense by cleaning environment including the fresh water streams and springs besides fighting a war against use of Polyethene and constructing Latrines to make the state Open Defecation Free.
He was informed that this year 107 sanitary complexes have ben constructed for general public while about 7.79 lakh households have been covered under SBM out of the identified 14.93 lakh houselholds of the state.
The award ceremony was attended by Commissioner Secretary Nirmal Sharma, DC Srinagar Syed Abid Rasheed Shah, Director Rural Development Kashmir Gazanfar Ali, Director Rural Sanitation GN Gasik , Mission Director SRLM BAkshi JAvid Himayun and CEOP IWMP Farooq Ahmad.
