1 week Ago
1 2 Gurgaon: As part of the cleanliness campaign to tackle the waste management crisis in the city, MCG commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg joined the drive by wielding broom to clean primary intersections in the city on Saturday morning. The first phase of the campaign involved corporation officials and sanitation staff cleaning three major locations — IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, and Huda City Centre metro station. This came after MCG's performance in keeping the city clean was criticised by the newly elected councillors in a special budget meeting.
At the meeting, the councillors said that the civic body spent Rs 290 crore on solid waste management in the last fiscal year. However, the result was not visible on the ground, said councillors, pointing out their concern about the disconnect between massive expenditure and visible results. Additional commissioner Mahabir Parsad elaborated on the special sanitation initiative, stating that the municipal corporation is implementing it in stages to transform key urban areas into clean, aesthetically pleasing spaces without encroachments.
He highlighted that this programme, which commenced on Dr BR Ambedkar's birth anniversary, encompasses not only cleanliness but also includes tree plantation, community awareness, and citizen participation. He also said that other key intersections of the city will be covered in the coming days. "We have initiated this cleanliness campaign, which requires active participation and cooperation from citizens.
It is everyone's responsibility to care for public spaces in the city just as they do for their homes and offices," said Garg. In the current FY, more than a quarter of the corporation's total expenditure – Rs 390 crore – will be used for health and sanitation work. This allocation is 20% higher than last year's Rs 325 crore earmarked for the same.
This work will include waste management, including garbage clearance from the city. The city has been in the midst of a waste management crisis for months, with the state govt last year declaring a ‘solid waste exigency' in the city. The govt also said it would implement the Solid Waste Environment Exigency Programme (SWEEP).
Last year, the city put up its worst show in the central govt's Swachh Survekshan rankings, finishing 140th out of 446 Indian cities, the lowest it fell to since 2016..
