Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, today conducted an extensive tour of Baltal base camp to assess the sanitation facilities being put in place along the Sonamarg axis for the upcoming Shri Amarnath Ji Yatra (SANJY), 2025.

He also visited different camps along the route, starting from. Nilgrath Helipad, Baltal Base Camp, Domail Camp and trekked upto Railpatri Camp to oversee the sanitation arrangements for the upcoming yatra.

He was accompanied by Director General (DG) Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra; Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Ganderbal, Abdul Majeed; Assistant Commissioner Panchayat (ACP) Ganderbal, Altaf Hussain and other district officers.

The Secretary reviewed installation and functionality of various sanitation infrastructures including the toilets, washrooms, dustbins, drainage for grey water disposal, segregation of wet waste site, plastic waste management site and other sanitation facilities on the Baltal axis.

The Secretary examined the installation of dustbins around the base camp and yatra route to ensure effective waste disposal, segregation of waste at source and promote cleanliness among the pilgrims. He stressed the importance of maintaining high standards of cleanliness and called for implementation of a zero-landfill policy along the entire pilgrimage route.

A total of 6,038 prefabricated toilets and baths (5,033 toilets and 1,005 baths) are to be installed along both the axes and on yatra route. This included installations at the SASB's permanent base and the Anantnag Railway Station. Additionally, 1,576 Toilets and baths units are designated for operation and maintenance only. The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department is responsible for  a total of 7,614 toilets and baths, comprising 6,609 toilets and 1,005 baths.

The Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department is responsible for mobilization of Sanitation Resources which stands at 7,506 of manpower. Of the total resources, 3,584 have been allocated across various operations. Specifically, 1,397 resources are designated for the Baltal Axis, 1,564 for the Pahalgam Axis, and 623 for the Zero Landfill initiative. In terms of district-wise manpower distribution, the ACP office in Ganderbal has been assigned 1,143 personnel, while the ACP office in Anantnag has 1,871. Additionally, 908 manpower resources shall be deployed along the enroute districts. Besides, over 7506 sanitation workers are being deployed to ensure proper maintenance and cleanliness throughout the Yatra period.

The Secretary also issued specific directions for effective grey water management, including construction of adequate soak pits and drainage systems to prevent water logging and ensure environmentally sustainable waste disposal practices. He emphasized the need to ensure clean, safe and efficient facilities for pilgrims, particularly in areas such as sanitation, water supply, accommodation and medical support.

Inspecting the arrangements on the ground, the Secretary underscored that quality service delivery and hygienic conditions are non-negotiable. He asked the officials to adopt a pilgrim-centric approach and ensure that all necessary arrangements are made promptly for the convenience and well-being of devotees.

Aijaz Asad called for immediate redressal of complaints, especially those related to hygiene, through a real-time response system.

He further informed that a QR code-based feedback system had been introduced at toilet points to enable pilgrims report cleanliness status, provide feedback and support centralized tracking for improving service delivery.

The Secretary also interacted with the field staff, sanitation workers and ground-level officers. He inspected the functionality of various sanitation infrastructures along the Baltal axis, including toilets, washrooms, dustbins and waste disposal units.

He instructed the concerned officials to ensure that every pilgrim has access to the best possible sanitation facilities.

After the tour, the Secretary also held meetings with ACD and ACP, Ganderbal, executive engineer Ganderbal, BDOs of Ganderbal and engineering staff to expedite the work. He also chaired discussions regarding preparations for the Mela Kheer Bhawani.

DG Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra, emphasized the need to uphold high standards of cleanliness, particularly in sanitation units.