Empowering women for a Swachh J&K: State Mission Director briefs newly selected SHG Community Mobilizers at Jammu Municipal Corporation

JAMMU: In a significant step toward strengthening grassroots sanitation efforts and fostering women's empowerment, the State Mission Directorate of Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) 2.0 has officially commenced the engagement of Self-Help Group (SHG) members as Community Mobilizers. These women, who are joining the mission today, have been selected to lead critical Information, Education and Communication (IEC) initiatives across the Union Territory.

Addressing the newly selected members at the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), the Mission Director, SBM-U 2.0, briefed the cohort on their pivotal role in driving behavioral change through direct, two-way interaction with citizens. The Mission Director emphasized that the engagement of these active members from DAY-NULM/NRLM registered groups is a core part of the mission's strategy to leverage existing institutional mechanisms for grassroots mobilization. By focusing on interpersonal communication, the mission aims to utilize the trusted relationship these women maintain with their local communities to encourage the source segregation of wet, dry, and domestic hazardous waste.

Across the 80 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) of Jammu & Kashmir, a total of 586 Community Mobilizers have been estimated for engagement. For the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), 26 members have been engaged to cover designated wards. These women will be responsible for door-to-door waste segregation, ensuring visible cleanliness, and preventing open littering. Furthermore, they will provide vital support in identifying Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) and facilitating their transformation into clean spaces.

Their training begins today, marking their official entry into field operations where they will work between 6:00 AM and 2:00 PM, or during such hours as may be fixed by the Executive Officer of the concerned ULB. Their efforts will focus on sensitizing households against open littering and illegal dumping, promoting neighborhood cleanliness and waste segregation, and monitoring the proper functioning and cleanliness of Community and Public Toilets (CT/PTs).

In addition to door-to-door awareness, the mobilizers will provide vital field-level support for achieving Swachh Certifications such as ODF, ODF+, ODF++, Water+  and Garbage-Free City (GFC) star ratings. They are also tasked with supporting Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR) Centres and monitoring sanitation complaints through the Swachhata App. This initiative represents a major step forward in fostering community-led sanitation and ensuring a cleaner, healthier environment for all citizens of Jammu & Kashmir through the dedicated service of these community leaders.