Finance
Odisha has won three national awards in the prestigious annual India Sanitation Coalition (ISC)-FICCI Sanitation Awards 2022, which were announced today in New Delhi at an awards ceremony.
Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) received the award for “Best Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) Model – Urban,” and Sasmita Barik, a Swachha Sathi from Bhadrak Municipality, received the award for “Women Changemaker in Sanitation.” Jajpur district was also recognized for its “Best Skilling Initiative in Sanitation.”
The ISC-FICCI Awards ceremony and conclave is an annual national event that recognizes leaders, rising stars, and organizations driving growth in the sanitation value chain in order to achieve a “cleaner, healthier, safer, happier, and gender-equal India.”
Since 2019, the Government of Odisha’s Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) has won awards in various categories at the annual ISC-FICCI Awards Ceremony.
Sulochana Das, Mayor, BMC, and team members accepted the award on behalf of Bhubaneswar.
Sasmita Barik received the “Women Changemaker in Sanitation” Award, along with Additional Secretary and Additional Mission Director SBM (Urban) H&UDD, Durgesh Nandini Sahoo.
Both awards honor the Odisha model of decentralized, community-led sanitation.
BMC was recognized for its comprehensive implementation of FSSM across the value chain, as well as for creating an enabling environment through the engagement of multiple stakeholders and the execution of wide-ranging interventions in the Capital city.
The FSSM model has focused on community-led demand generation, strict enforcement of regulations against illegal sludge disposal, innovative cesspool vehicle service delivery methods, optimal utilization of Septage Treatment Plants (SeTPs), city-wide communication campaigns, and so on.
Sasmita Barik, a 26-year-old Swachha Sathi from Bhadrak, was recognized for her active leadership and pro-activity in keeping the city clean and sanitary by raising awareness among households about Faecal Sludge and Septage Management (FSSM) and Solid Waste Management (SWM) and motivating citizens to adopt appropriate sanitation practices.
Odisha has been lauded across multiple platforms for implementing a unique model of decentralized waste management with community partners as a 5T initiative.
Source:OCN
