Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 15: Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, today chaired a high-level review meeting to assess implementation of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2026 and directed all districts and field officers to ensure strict and time-bound compliance with Supreme Court directions on solid waste management. The meeting was attended by Director General Rural Sanitation Anoo Malhotra, Director Finance Umar Khan, Superintending Engineers REW, Deputy Directors Rural Sanitation, Assistant Commissioners Panchayat and other concerned officers. The Secretary emphasized that the Supreme Court, through its various orders especially dated February 19, April 29 and May 5, 2026, has issued comprehensive directions to States, UTs, District Collectors and Pollution Control Boards for effective implementation of the SWM Rules, 2026. He directed all districts to submit comprehensive plans for door-to-door waste collection across rural areas and submit the same within given timelines for strengthening waste collection systems. Aijaz Asad stressed constitution of Village and Block Sanitation Committees under overall supervision of District Sanitation Committees (headed by DCs), wherever pending to improve coordination, monitoring and implementation of sanitation initiatives. He also directed wide dissemination of the SWM Rules, 2026, including translation into regional languages, and called for awareness workshops at UT, district and block/panchayat levels to educate communities on scientific waste management practices.
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