Punjab village receives \'Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman\' for waste management

Chandigarh: Peroshah village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district, with a population of over 1,000, has earned national-level recognition for properly managing solid and liquid waste.

Harjinder Kaur, the sarpanch of the village, which has been declared a model ODF (open defecation free) Plus, received the 'Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023' from President Droupadi Murmu on March 4 for commendable work in the sanitation sector.

The event was organised by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti in Delhi to honour the women achievers who have contributed towards the cause.

Kaur said it was a proud moment to receive the award in presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Recently, Peroshah village was declared a model ODF Plus village for fulfilling the criteria stipulated in the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G, Phase II) guidelines.

Under the mission's guidelines, the ODF Plus title is given to a village that sustains its ODF status, ensure visual cleanliness and proper solid and liquid waste management.

Punjab's Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa congratulated the residents of Peroshah village for its achievement.

"Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's dream is that every village in Punjab should be a model village," he said, adding that the sanitation department is working diligently to ensure cleanliness and water supply to every village.

"At the Delhi event, President Murmu said that people should take inspiration from Peroshah village," Kaur said.

A solid waste management and water treatment plant has also been set up in the village.

Peroshah resident Sukhraj Singh said the village manages its solid waste here and generates several kilograms of compost through effective management of biodegradable waste.

For this, compost pits have also been constructed for converting wet waste into compost.

"Now, nobody dumps garbage on empty plots.

"The village has adopted modern techniques for liquid waste management. Dirty water is being purified by the villagers and being used for irrigation and other purposes," Singh said.

He said four years ago, the villagers studied how dirty water should be treated and in April 2019, work began to set up the plant. It was set in motion six months later, Singh said.

"Dirty water is collected and treated at the plant. We have laid an underground pipeline and supply is given to fields of farmers for irrigation.

"We have also laid underground sewerage in the entire village," he said.

The village Panchayat has also set up a 'mini-jungle' in the village

"We further plan to build a stadium so that the energy of our youth is channelised in a positive manner," Kaur said.