Governor, Satya Pal Malik, who is Chairman, Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board, was Monday briefed by UmangNarula, Chief Executive Officer, SASB, about the sanitation arrangements to be made for the ensuing Yatra.
The CEO, SASB in this regard held a meeting at Raj Bhavan tofinalise the action plan for sanitation arrangements, an official handout said.
The meeting had detailed discussions on several issuesrelating to the sanitation including the garbage collection and its disposal,maintenance of toilets and baths, operation and maintenance of sewage treatmentplants at Baltal and Nunwan base camps, and disposal of plastic waste generatedduring the Yatra period.
It was decided that all the solid waste generated duringYatra shall be managed by Pahalgam Development Authority (PDA), SonamargDevelopment Authority (SDA) and the Shrine Board in their respective areas ofresponsibility and disposed of in the identified garbage collection centres inSonamarg and Pahalgam.
It was informed that the required infrastructure at theidentified garbage collection centres would be put in place as per theMunicipal Solid Waste Disposal Rules by the PDA and SDA in tune with the adviceof the State Pollution Control Board.
The CEO informed the meeting that the Shrine Board hasplanned to install 2850 toilets and 516 baths in the Yatra area along with 150bottle catchers and 30 bio-bins.
The meeting was informed that the Shrine Board shall alsoinstall 1515 dustbins in three different colours to segregate biomedical, biodegradableand non-biodegradable wastes during the Yatra.
The meeting was informed that for the scientific treatmentof waste water/sewage, two Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), based ondecentralised waste water treatment technology, have been commissioned at theBaltal and Nunwan Base Camps by the Shri AmarnathYatra Board (SASB).
The STP at Nunwan Base Camp was upgraded with the latestMembrane Bed Bio Reactor (MBBR) technology during 2018.
The CEO urged the Deputy Commissioners of Ganderbal andAnantnag, CEOs of PDA and SDA and General Manager, Sanitation, SASB, to ensuresegregation of waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable andtransportation of non-biodegradable waste to the collection centre earmarkedfor the purpose and its proper disposal.
The CEO emphasised on all the agencies responsible forsanitation of Yatra track to closely monitor the day to day sanitation work atthe Yatra camps and en route and to maintain close coordination to ensurecleanliness and hygiene in the Yatra area and the Base Camps.
Narula directed General Manager (Works), SASB; GeneralManager (Sanitation), SASB; CEOs of PDA and SDA to launch sanitation cum campcleaning drives at all the Yatra camps and along the track during Yatra period.
It was informed that on the occasion of its 25th goldenanniversary, Shiv Sevak Delhi (LangarOrganisation) has decided to promote cleanYatra by installing more than 100 dustbins from Chandanwari to the cave shrineand involve more than 100 sewadars (volunteers) who will pick the wastes andgarbage from the track.
The meeting was attended by Baseer Ahmed Khan, DivisionalCommissioner Kashmir; RigzinSamphel, Secretary Tourism; B.M Sharma, MemberSecretary J&K State Pollution Control Board; Khalid Jahangir, DeputyCommissioner Anantnag; Hashmat Ali, Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal; Anup KumarSoni, Additional Chief Executive Officer SASB; Dr. Nasir Ahmed, CEO PahalgamDevelopment Authority; Showkat Ahmad , CEO Sonamarg Development Authority; JalidRiyazBandey General Manager(Sanitation), SASB and Ramesh Pandita, General Manager (Works),SASB.