Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh, June 12-
Haryana Chief Secretary TVSN Prasad has said that the State Government has decided to implement Swachhata Green Leaf Rating System in the State on voluntary basis to sensitize the hospitality facilities to follow practices promoting “Safely Managed Sanitation” and encourage them to adopt a star-rating system.
Sh Prasad disclosed this after presiding over the first meeting on Swachhata Green Leaf Rating in Hospitality facilities, here today.
He said that the system would help the operators of the hospitality facilities develop adequate infrastructure, adopt good practices and support awareness generation on sanitation and cleanliness as part of responsible tourism. Swachhata Green Leaf Rating System has been designed to ensure the attainment of Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status in rural and urban areas while simultaneously building a positive image and branding for hospitality entities as promoters of sanitation and hygiene. The target group includes all categories of public and private tourist facilities such as Hotels, home stays, dharamshalas, lodges, camps including portable toilet facilities or trekking groups.
The Chief Secretary said that a Task Force would be constituted for the creation of way side amenities and way side waste disposal to ensure cleanliness and hygiene in public and private tourist facilities for the public especially tourists. He stated that a campaign should be launched in the mission mode for the cleanliness of public toilets in Dhabas and Petrol pumps located on the Highways and added that one Dhaba and one Petrol pump in each district should be taken on pilot basis for this purpose.
He said that to facilitate implementation of Swachhata Green Leaf Rating system, a three-tiered committee structure has been constituted. This includes a State-level committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, District Level Committee headed by Deputy Commissioner and Verification Sub-Committee headed by SDM.
Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Dr Amit Agrawal informed that the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti in coordination with the Ministry of Tourism has launched the Swachhata Green Leaf Rating System in the hospitality facilities of the country. The rating system will sensitise the hospitality facilities of the country. He said mapping of all public toilets would be done so as to facilitate the people to use this facility.
Dr Amit Agrawal said that the three focused themes for ranking the hospitality facility include Solid Waste Management, Faecal Sludge Management and Grey water Management. The parameters of these themes are further divided in four sections- related to infrastructure, related to practices, related to awareness generation and any innovations displayed on these themes in the facility.