Began in 2014, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was aimed to clean up the streets, roads and infrastructure of India’s cities, smaller towns, and rural areas and today the government is considering to carry out a cleanliness survey to see how far the Abhiyan has been able to bring in cleanliness to the people. Termed as Swachch Survekshan, a drive to encourage every city to improve urban sanitation will begin on January, 4 and continue till March, 10. Urban sanitation in Jammu and Kashmir has been the low priority area as far as cleanliness is concerned. The visibility mark is the amount of garbage strewn on the streets with choked drains emanating a permanent stink which the residents have become habitual to is a day-to-day experience. Occasional cleanliness drive with all and sundry holding a broom and cleaning a garbage-free stretch has been the object photo ops in media besides that hardly there was any initiative to keep the city clean. Old and outlived sewer system with yet to have a modern garbage disposal mechanism the twin capital cities of the State find rivers running all along them as the best disposal areas. The government drive is half- hearted one and above that civic sense of the people, which plays a major role in keeping the surroundings clean, is very poor here. The amount of left-over food at the gates of the houses and streets tells the story of respect for grain. This not only is a national waste but has created the unchecked growth of stray dogs on the streets and roads. Almost every wall is a public toilet so is the stink. With such gloomy picture one is doubtful whether any city in Jammu and Kashmir would qualify the mark of ‘clean city’ especially when Jammu is termed always as the ‘Temple City’ and there is no surprise it is the dirtiest one in all aspects. Civic sense does not come out of education nor does it come by travelling abroad it is what we tell our children at home which they imbibe in their life cycle matter. So the survey hardly would be able to impress the residents of the State on cleanliness.
