The Yogi Adityanath government is now eyeing ODF Plus status for the villages of Uttar Pradesh by adopting a comprehensive approach towards cleanliness, self-reliance and waste management in the villages of the state.
“The government is already moving forward on the action plan to rejuvenate villages of the state by not only promoting cleanliness, but also sustaining the rural economy by increasing the income of rural families through the sanitation initiative. The initiative has the potential to change the picture of villages of the state,” a government spokesman said here on Monday.
The implementation of the action plan to convert cattle dung and agricultural waste into biogas and slurry on a war footing across all villages of the state is a significant undertaking as it not only promotes cleanliness, but also focuses on increasing the income of rural families.
The official said: “The Yogi Adityanath government has taken various initiatives to increase the income of the rural families by converting cattle dung and agricultural waste into biogas and slurry in all villages across the state. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), the government has allocated Rs 50 lakh for each district to promote the Gobardhan Yojana. These funds are intended to support the construction of biogas plants that convert cattle dung and agricultural waste into biogas and slurry. By linking the biogas plants with government cow sheds in the villages, a reliable source of feedstock for the plants is ensured.”
Currently, 20 districts in the state have completed such plants, while 60 plants are under construction in 38 districts. Additionally, efforts have begun to implement 22 plants in 17 districts.
Swachh Gramin Survekshan 2023 is being organised by the Drinking Water and Sanitation department, Ministry of Jal Shakti, for identifying the gram panchayats that have excelled in implementing various components of ODF Plus in the field of cleanliness.
Under the leadership of the district magistrate, the participation of all gram panchayats will be ensured and a total of 15 excellent gram panchayats will be selected from each category, resulting in a total of 45 outstanding gram panchayats.
The development block level time period to complete the participatory verification in the Swachh Gramin Survekshan 2023 in the state has been fixed between May 1 and June 15 this year whereas, the deadline has been fixed from June 16 to June 30 at the district level. The deadline of July 1 to July 15 at the state level and July 31 at the district level has been fixed for marking and awarding excellent gram panchayats.