SBM-U 2.0:  Rs 700 Cr action plan for J&K ULBs approved

Chief Secretary assesses implementation of city sanitation and waste management works 13

JAMMU, NOVEMBER 13: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a meeting of the Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) to appraise the progress made in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 aiming at the scientific disposal of waste and achieving the garbage-free status for all cities in India.

Those who were present include the Principal Secretary of Finance; Commissioner Secretary H&UDD; Chairman Pollution Control Committee; DG Rural Sanitation; Commissioner SMC/JMC; Director ULB J/K  besides other concerned officers.

On this occasion the Chief Secretary impressed upon the Department to take swift decisions regarding the implementation of this project here in J&K. He observed that the centrally sponsored schemes are time-bound in nature and therefore deserve efficient implementation on the ground for maximizing benefits to the common masses.

Dulloo also seized this opportunity to enquire from the Commissioners of the twin Municipal Corporations and Directors of ULBs about the current status of each work envisaged under this scheme. He stressed ensuring their timely completion and quality outcomes in terms of their functioning at the end.

While looking into the proposed action plans for sanitation and waste management for the municipalities, the Chief Secretary enquired about different components being implemented under SBM 2.0 and the anticipated outcomes. He called for more serious efforts to take each to their logical conclusion within the set deadline fixed for this mission.

The Principal Secretary of Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya took a keen interest in giving his suggestions for better implementation of this mission here in UT. He took note of the financial progress made so far and the means through which the Department is contemplating accomplishing the work across all the urban areas.

The Commissioner Secretary H&UDD, Mandeep Kaur elucidated the type of components and progress registered by the Department in each of them. She introduced that SBM-U 2.0 was launched in October 2021 with the vision of achieving garbage-free city (GFC) status in all cities in India.

She further added that this mission entails the segregation of waste and its 100% door-to-door collection and thereafter its management including safe disposal in scientifically designed landfills.

It was also revealed that the ULBs had to prepare city sanitation action plans (CSAPs) and city solid waste action plans (CSWAPs) for submitting them to MOHUA in the form of a state action plan for their funding.

The meeting took appraisal of the measures made for scientific disposal of Solid Waste Management including material recovery facilities, transfer stations, waste processing facilities, remediation of legacy waste dumpsites, and scientific landfilling in different municipalities of J&K.

Regarding the achievements made so far it was given out that the work on 350 TPD waste processing plants for JMC is under progress through NAFED at Kot Bhalwal and is slated to be completed by March 2025 with another 138 TPD projects being vetted by IIT Jammu.

As far as the CSWAP for Srinagar is concerned, the meeting took appraisal of the revised plan estimated at a cost of Rs.  212.67 Cr including components for Dry waste facility, wet waste facility, and legacy waste treatment.

The meeting was further apprised that for Solid Waste Management (SWM) in J&K, 78 MRFs and waste-to-compost plants with a cumulative capacity of 454 TPD and 611.5 TPD had been approved along with 2 Bio-gas plants of 225 TPD for Jammu as well.

As far as the Used Water Management (UWM) is concerned it was divulged that STPs having an installed capacity of 71 MLD are functional in Jammu producing a sewerage of around 86 MLD at the rate of 108 liters per capita per day.

Similarly, in Srinagar STPs of the capacity of 61.99 MLD constructed by SMC/LCMA are functional currently with the gap to be covered by 2028. STPs of capacity 13.6 MLD and 6 MLD had also been made functional by ULBs of Jammu and Kashmir divisions in some of its municipalities with more under progress.

In the action taken to report it was given out that CSWAP to the tune of Rs. 446.03 Cr was approved along with the UWM plan of Rs.  271.67 Cr in favor of J&K. In addition for the construction of 804 seats of aspirational toilets with all the modern facilities an amount of Rs. 32.52 Cr has been made available under this mission.

The mission also features the capacity building of the manpower for which Rs.  12.86 Cr for 2 year period had been earmarked and for carrying out the IEC activities Rs. 14 Cr had been approved under the SBM plan for J&K.