PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that more than 90 per cent of the waste generated in the urban areas of the State is now being scientifically processed. He said that about 109 acres of land has been made usable by disposing of the legacy waste. The CM was addressing a programme at Chandreshwar Nagar, Rishikesh on Tuesday. In the programme, the CM inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of Devbhoomi Silver Jubilee Parks and various development schemes. He dedicated the Devbhoomi Silver Jubilee Parks developed in nine municipal bodies of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar and Uttarkashi districts to the public. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of seven development schemes worth Rs 36 crore in Dehradun district on the occasion.
Dhami said that places that once had garbage heaps and bushes are now being developed into lush, well-maintained public spaces. He said that along with expanding infrastructure in cities, priority is being given to cleanliness, environmental protection and civic amenities. “All 108 municipal bodies in the State have become open defecation free. Rishikesh and Haridwar have received Water Plus certification. Biogas is being produced from waste in Rudrapur and Mussoorie. More than 60,000 kilogrammes of plastic has been collected through a digital deposit-refund system along the Chardham Yatra routes. A detailed sanitation action plan of Rs 1,375 crore has been prepared for the State’s 107 municipal bodies,’’ he said.
The CM said that out of 151 projects approved in the first phase of the Amrit Yojana, 148 have been completed. Under Amrit 2.0, projects worth Rs 650 crore are being undertaken to provide drinking water to 40,000 additional houses and revive water sources and ponds. He said urban development is meaningful only when its benefits reach the last person in society. Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) more than 62,000 houses have been approved in the State, while more than 50,000 families have been provided with permanent homes.
He said that as part of the good governance agenda of the government, the municipal services are being digitized. Arrangements are being made to provide services like property tax, mutation and trade licenses online. A digital sanitation monitoring system is being developed in Haridwar in view of the upcoming Ardh Kumbh Mela 2027.
Cabinet minister Subodh Uniyal, Rishikesh MLA Premchand Agarwal, Rishikesh Mayor Shambhu Paswan, chairperson of State Women Commission Kusum Kandwal and others attended the programme.
