Mandeep Kaur launches Swachhata Internship Programme for schools across Kashmir

Srinagar, Sep 14: Commissioner, Housing & Urban Development Department, Mandeep Kaur, Monday launched the Swachhata Internship Programme for schools across Kashmir Division, aimed at involving the students directly in cleanliness, waste segregation and scientific waste management.
The programme was launched at Amar Singh College, Srinagar, in presence of Ram Niwas Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Education who attended as the guest of honour and Dr. Devansh Yadav, Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0, J&K.
The initiative has been launched by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) in collaboration with the Directorate of School Education Kashmir, with support from Swaaha Resource Management Private Limited.
The programme will engage the students in practical activities related to source segregation, recycling, composting, resource recovery, sanitation and community participation. The students will also be encouraged to undertake awareness activities in their schools and neighbourhoods and promote responsible waste-management practices among their families and communities.
Speaking on the occasion, Mandeep Kaur said that cleanliness could not be left to municipal agencies alone and that people, particularly young students, have to be made active partners in the effort.
“Cleanliness cannot remain the responsibility of municipal agencies alone. It has to become a shared civic responsibility and schools have an important role in shaping that culture among the next generation,” she said.
She emphasised the need to go beyond awareness programmes and focus on bringing about sustained behavioural change in the way people handle waste and maintain cleanliness in their surroundings.
The programme will also provide students with opportunities to develop their communication, leadership and public-speaking skills while undertaking the activities related to waste management and cleanliness. The students will serve as Swachhata Ambassadors, carrying the message from their schools to their homes and local communities.
Faz lul Haseeb Commissioner, Srinagar Municipal Corporation; senior officers of SMC, Heads of Institutions; teachers; students from participating schools and other stakeholders attended the launch programme.
A Waste-to-Art Exhibition was also organised on the occasion, showcasing sculptures and other artworks made from discarded materials by participants from different parts of the Valley. The exhibition highlighted the possibilities of reusing waste materials and transforming discarded items into useful and creative products. It also promoted the message of reuse, recycling and resource recovery among students and visitors.
The initiative is part of the ongoing efforts under Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban 2.0 to increase citizen participation in scientific solid waste management and make Swachhata a regular part of everyday life.
By involving the students directly, the programme aims to encourage them to practise cleanliness themselves and inspire others to do the same, thereby taking the message of Swachhata from schools to homes and communities across Kashmir.