Ganderbal, August 09: Commissioner/Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department, Mandeep Kour today visited Baltal and inspected the waste management facilities and sanitation works going on to declare the Baltal as a Zero Landfill zone.
She was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Ganderbal, Shymbir, ACD Ganderbal, ACP Ganderbal, Camp Director Baltal, BDC Kangan and officers from Rural Development Department.
On the occasion, the DC briefed her that some sanitation exercises have already been carried out earlier along the Yatra track while RDD and Swahaa (NGO) are also carrying out the collection, segregation, and Baling and managing the waste in an eco-friendly way.
Commissioner Secretary visited Swahaa’s Organic Waste Management facility at Baltal and took stock of its functioning and procedure used to treat the collected waste to turn in into the organic fertilizers. She also inspected the compost beds used to dry up the organic fertilizers.
She was informed that 2 shredders installed in the facility have been used to its fullest potential in the Yatra to treat the waste and have the capacity of 2.4 tons per day.
She also directed him to chalk out the plan for doing convergence with the agriculture department for making this organic fertilizer available to the local farmers.
Appreciating the good work already done to keep the yatra camps and track clean, she directed ACD to keep a close watch to ensure cleanliness and sanitation in all camps and along the track so that Yatra Base Camp Baltal and track must be totally free from any waste whatsoever at the conclusion of the pilgrimage on August 11, 2022
Furthermore, she also inspected the Waste Management Facility at Domail wherein she interacted with the local youth involved in the Swahaa’s project, and asked their choice for making waste management as their business and earning their livelihood.
She said that we are doing our job on war-footing basis and very soon we will be ready to declare Baltal Yatra route as a zero landfill zone.
