Srinagar, Sep 26 (KNS): Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Saturday reviewed the progress of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0 in Jammu and Kashmir, calling for sustained monitoring, timely completion of ongoing projects and effective utilisation of resources to transform towns and cities into cleaner, greener and more sustainable urban centres.

Chairing a meeting to review the implementation of the two flagship Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Dulloo stressed that the Swachh Bharat Mission must go beyond the creation of sanitation infrastructure and bring about visible and lasting improvements in urban cleanliness, public health and the overall quality of life of citizens.

He observed that cleanliness was a basic necessity and assumed greater significance in Jammu and Kashmir, given its importance as a tourist destination, ecologically sensitive environment and the need to preserve its fragile ecosystems.

The Chief Secretary said the success of SBM would ultimately be measured through cleaner neighbourhoods, efficient waste management and sustained behavioural change. He urged Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to actively engage communities and ensure that the infrastructure created under the mission delivered tangible benefits to the public.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Mandeep Kaur; Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations; Managing Director, J&K Housing Board; Directors of Urban Local Bodies, Kashmir and Jammu; Chief Engineer, UEED; Chief Town Planners of Jammu and Kashmir, besides other senior officers of the department.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

Kaur presented a comprehensive status of both flagship urban development programmes, highlighting progress in scientific waste management, urban water security, wastewater treatment, remediation of legacy dumpsites and technology-driven town planning.

She also apprised the meeting of financial utilisation, timelines for ongoing works and measures being taken to achieve the prescribed targets within stipulated schedules.

Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, Devansh Yadav, who is also Managing Director of SBM (Urban) and AMRUT, informed the meeting that against a total Phase-II allocation of Rs 692.12 crore under SBM-U 2.0, an expenditure of Rs 96.97 crore had been recorded, with Rs 57.95 crore available for ongoing works during the current financial year.

He said implementation of SBM-U 2.0 had registered significant progress, particularly in dry waste processing, bio-remediation of legacy waste and establishment of waste-to-resource facilities.(KNS)