Clean India drive lands in a dump in the Capital | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Clean India drive lands in a dump in the Capital

Hindustan Times | By, New Delhi
Apr 02, 2015 01:21 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had walked on the Delhi streets, wielding a broom on October 2 last year. The PM wanted to bring about a change and wielded the broom to mark the start of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — a social movement that would free the country of garbage, filth and help it embrace cleanliness.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had walked on the Delhi streets, wielding a broom on October 2 last year. The PM wanted to bring about a change and wielded the broom to mark the start of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan — a social movement that would free the country of garbage, filth and help it embrace cleanliness.

Six months later, the mission lies abandoned in the capital. Garbage still dots the city’s roads, waste piles up near dhalaos and toilets are still inadequate in number. Since the launch of the national mission, Delhi has seen two administrations. While the former — led by L-G Najeeb Jung — took up Mission Cleanliness on a war footing, the current AAP government seems to have put on hold all sanitation-related activities.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Even though chief minister Arvind Kejriwal himself had brandished the broom to support the mission last year, his government has decided to wait for the Centre to pump in funds to get going on it.

“Under President’s Rule, the mission was taken up like a festival. Secretaries and senior officers were given daily responsibilities. There were surprise inspections and those found slacking were reprimanded. But such things can be continued only if they are institutionalised,” said a senior Delhi government official. While there was no budget allocated for daily mission-related work, departments were asked to draw up their individual plans on how they will bring about cleanliness with definite targets.

As a result, by November last year, 200 metric tonnes of garbage had been lifted by the South Municipal Corporation. It repaired 48 dhallaos, 173 urinals and 69 community toilets while registering 140 FIRs against violators. The directorate of education had planned to grade schools on 28 parameters of cleanliness and build toilets in 228 of them. At the same time, DSIDC informed the L-G that 92% malba had been removed from 18 industrial areas by the first week of November.

“The L-G would conduct regular review meetings which were attended by all secretaries, divisional commissioners and other officers. He himself went on surprise checks to schools, hospitals and revenue offices in November following which a deputy commissioner, two assistant engineers and two principals were suspended,” said an official. Work on the Swachhata Abhiyan, however, slowed down once the Assembly elections were announced in January. The new government took charge on February 18 and is yet to announce its plans for the mission.

While the Centre has allocated Rs 32 crore for building toilets in Delhi, there is a lot to be done on collection and disposal of household, commercial and construction waste, de-silting of drains, waste water management and cleaning the Yamuna. As of now, the government is only dealing with the issue of clearing garbage in parts the city by pacifying the municipal sanitation workers. “We have instructed the corporations to ensure that the funds meant for salaries of sanitation workers are not diverted. We do not care if the projects are stalled but the salaries have to be paid,” said Manish Sisodia.

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    author-default-90x90

    Neha Pushkarna deputises at Hindustan Times’ Delhi bureau, setting up the morning news cycle digitally before shifting gears later in the day to plan and rewrite stories for the newspaper. She writes on education.

SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On