SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Saturday called for faster completion of ongoing projects under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0, stressing the need for visible improvements in cleanliness, waste management and civic infrastructure across Jammu and Kashmir.
Dulloo chaired a meeting to review the progress of the two Centrally Sponsored Schemes, with senior officers of the Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD), Jammu and Srinagar municipal corporations and other concerned departments attending the meeting.
The Chief Secretary said the Swachh Bharat Mission should go beyond creation of sanitation infrastructure and result in sustained improvements in urban cleanliness, public health and quality of life.
He said cleanliness assumes greater importance in Jammu and Kashmir given its tourism potential and ecologically sensitive environment, and called for greater community participation and behavioural change to ensure the infrastructure created under the mission delivers tangible benefits.
Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Mandeep Kaur briefed the meeting on the progress of SBM-U 2.0 and AMRUT 2.0, including waste processing, legacy dumpsite remediation, water supply, wastewater treatment and technology-driven urban planning.
Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation, and Managing Director SBM (Urban) and AMRUT, Devansh Yadav, said that against an allocation of Rs 692.12 crore under SBM-U 2.0 Phase-II, Rs 96.97 crore had been spent, while Rs 57.95 crore was available for ongoing works during the current financial year.
Under SBM-U 2.0, 62 of the 78 targeted Urban Local Bodies have completed work on Material Recovery Facilities, while the remaining 16 are scheduled to complete the facilities by December 2026.
The 225-tonne-per-day Compressed Bio-Gas plant of the Jammu Municipal Corporation has achieved 50 per cent physical progress, while the proposed 300 TPD plant of the Srinagar Municipal Corporation is under an extended bidding process.
In Construction and Demolition waste management, the 65 TPD JMC facility has been completed and is undergoing trials. The 125 TPD SMC facility has achieved 95 per cent physical progress and is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
Of the 26.29 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste targeted for remediation, 13.29 lakh MT has already been bio-remediated. The remaining 0.80 lakh MT under JMC is scheduled to be cleared by October 2026, while complete remediation in Kashmir division has been targeted for December.
The meeting was also informed that work on the remaining legacy waste at SMC is being carried out on a round-the-clock basis.
Treated wastewater from the Mehdi Kadal and Pahalgam sewage treatment plants is also being reused for irrigation of floriculture fields, officials said.
Under AMRUT 2.0, Jammu and Kashmir has secured Central Assistance of Rs 867 crore, against which works worth Rs 852.90 crore have been allotted. During 2026-27, Rs 113.51 crore has been utilised out of Rs 150 crore released so far.
All 22 approved water-body rejuvenation projects under the mission have been completed, while seven of the 65 approved water supply schemes have also been completed. Another 30 water supply projects are targeted for completion by December 2026 and 18 by March 2027.
Under the Jal Hi Amrit initiative, five of the 14 sewage treatment plant projects for which an incentive of Rs 10.50 crore was sanctioned have been completed. The plants are being equipped with systems including SCADA and Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems.
The meeting also reviewed the GIS-based Master Plan for Class-II towns being implemented at a cost of Rs 22.50 crore in collaboration with the Survey of India. Drone-based mapping has been completed for 14 towns, with all 18 identified towns targeted for mapping by October 2026.
Officials said community participation had also been strengthened through the AMRUT Mitra initiative. Five Self-Help Groups have completed all 78,000 targeted water-quality tests, while another 11 SHGs have planted 798 trees around sensitive water bodies and dumping sites.
Under sanitation workers’ welfare measures, 7,422 Sanitation Response Workers have been profiled and 713 specialised PPE kits distributed. As many as 627 workers have also been covered under Ayushman Bharat Health Cards, while the National Sanitation Helpline 14420 is operational.
The Chief Secretary also reviewed initiatives under the Clean Himalayan and Hill Cities Initiative, under which Rs 22.37 crore is being deployed across key eco-tourism destinations.
At Katra, the initiatives include container-based Pink Toilets and a plastic-free green corridor towards the railway station. At Pahalgam and Patnitop, automated road sweepers, Reverse Vending Machines and women-friendly smart toilets are being introduced.
Projects planned for Gulmarg-Tangmarg and Bhadarwah include a Waste-to-Wonder Park, eco-friendly SHG-based packaging and CCTV-enabled waste monitoring systems.
Dulloo directed the concerned departments and urban local bodies to maintain close monitoring of ongoing projects, adhere to timelines and ensure effective utilisation of funds so that the benefits of the schemes reach people across Jammu and Kashmir.
