District Water and Sanitation Mission Meeting: 2.48 Lakh Kg Plastic Waste Collected, ₹4.44 Lakh Fine Realised Under Single-Use Plastic Free Nuapada Campaign

Nuapada, June 24 The 19th meeting of the District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) was held at the Sadbhavana Hall in Nuapada under the chairmanship of Collector and District Magistrate Madhusudan Das. At the outset, Executive Engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS), Ashok Kumar Badhai, welcomed the participants and briefed them on the objectives of the meeting. The meeting was attended by Zilla Parishad Chief Executive Officer Lambodar Dharua, District Swachh Bharat Mission Coordinator Anil Kumar Lenka, all Block Development Officers (BDOs), the Executive Engineer of the Electricity Department, and officials and engineers from various departments. During the meeting, the progress of drinking water supply, the “Har Ghar Jal” programme, and various sanitation-related initiatives across the district was reviewed. Special emphasis was laid on the achievements of the “Single-Use Plastic Free (SUP-Free) Nuapada” campaign and the “Bartan Bank” initiative. According to the review, since the launch of the SUP-Free Nuapada Campaign on June 5, 2025, a total of 3,421 awareness programmes and 7,445 cleanliness drives have been conducted across the district. Through these efforts, 2,48,391 kilograms of plastic waste have been collected, while 3,956 kilograms of banned single-use plastic materials have been seized. Additionally, fines amounting to ₹4,44,550 have been imposed and collected from violators. Under the Bartan Bank programme, 170 utensil banks have been established against a target of 177, achieving 96.05 percent success. Notably, the rural areas of the district have achieved 100 percent completion of the targeted 131 utensil banks. Addressing the meeting, Collector Madhusudan Das stressed the need to further strengthen drinking water supply systems, ensure timely implementation of water supply projects, and provide prompt resolution of public grievances related to water and sanitation services. The meeting concluded with a commitment to accelerate efforts towards sustainable sanitation practices and making Nuapada a cleaner and environmentally responsible district.