DW BUREAU / SAS Nagar ( MOhali) Department of Water Supply and Sanitation has launched Mission Swachh and Swasth Punjab under the aegis of Govt. of India's flagship programme Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase II focusing on sustainability of Open Defecation Free status and providing adequate Solid and Liquid waste management facilities through community participation in the villages. In line with this, Department of Water Supply and Sanitation organised a webinar today jointly with Department of Rural Development of Panchayats. The webinar aimed to orient and capacitate Sarpanches on various components of ODF Plus, saw participation of more than 475 Sarpanches from all over the State. As part of the webinar, a comprehensive presentation on various aspects of Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) Phase II was shared with the participants. Mission Director Swachh Bharat Gramin-cum-Addl. Secretary Water Supply and Sanitation Parneet Shergill, shared information regarding projects that can be taken up under the new guidelines of Phase II like construction of Community Sanitary Complexes to facilitate the landless villagers as well as migrant workers, management of Solid waste by means of waste-collection, segregation, setting up composting pits, and rejuvenation of ponds. Sarbjit Singh, SDE Water Supply and Sanitation shared various video films of on-going Solid and Liquid waste management projects in the villages. Smt. Sevya Sharma Community Development Specialist (Sanitation) shared the capacity building initiatives being undertaken in villages.Best practices from the field such as Solid waste management implementation in Doraha block was shared by Navdeep Kaur, BDPO Doraha. Initiatives such as construction of individual/ community soak pits, composting units undertaken in District Mansawas shared by Smt. Amarpreet Kaur, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Mansa. The participants were also informed regarding provisions of opening and operating separate bank accounts for Sanitation and the process by which funds would flow from the 15th Finance Commission grants and Swachh Bharat component to the Gram Panchayats. (editor@dailyworld.in)