The Centre has asked the Odisha Government to ensure high levels of cleanliness during the upcoming Rath Yatra in Puri.
A team of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) would visit the pilgrim city soon to take stock of the arrangements. MoHUA Secretary Manoj Joshi has written to Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra in the regards, sources said.
The MoHUA’s communication specifies various initiatives to be taken for sanitation and waste management. The State Government has been requested to provide sufficient numbers of public toilets for both men and women throughout the approach roads to the temple and ensure that they are kept clean, hygienic and usable at all times.
All eateries along the approach roads would need to be sensitised about garbage collection, in-situ processing of the food wastes through waste to compost/ waste to biogas units in their premises, usage of biodegradable cutlery and bags.
The MoHUA has also asked the States of Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir to take urgent steps to ensure that the ongoing Kedarnath Yatra and upcoming Amarnath Yatra, respectively, are conducted in a manner so as to ensure high levels of cleanliness.
Local swachhata brand ambassadors are to be identified and designated for the ‘swachhyatra’, and spread the messages of cleanliness etc, to motivate visitors to behave responsibly and help in maintaining ‘swachhata’. Videoconferencing meetings have been scheduled early next week to discuss with State, city and district officials to discuss the preparedness.