Delhi: NDMC on cleanliness overdrive to banish garbage by October 31

New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Corporation has set itself a target of making the areas under its jurisdiction garbage free by October 31 and is ready with an action plan to intensify its cleaning operations in the wake of the launch of the 'Swachh Bharat' mission by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In keeping with the decision to intensify its cleaning initiative, NDMC has identified areas for special attention and is stepping up operations directed at ensuring proper hygiene and sanitation.

Thus, NDMC is planning to make special efforts for the cleaning of backlanes of several colonies and areas which attract a high footfall of visitors, like Hanuman Temple road, Sarojini Nagar market, Connaught Place, etc, officials said.

Also, sanitation workers will be asked to give specific attention to the corners, backlanes, and overflowing dhalaos where there is the highest possibility of garbage accumulating, said PK Sharma, Director (health), NDMC.

NDMC has also directed its tricycle rickshaws to now collect garbage thrice daily instead of the once earlier, Sharma said, adding that 800 new garbage trolleys have been ordered for the purpose.

Door-to-door garbage collection has already been started in six colonies, including Jor Bagh, Golf Links, Rajinder Nagar and Khan Market, he said.

NDMC is also regularising the services of 762 sanitation workers who were working on contract basis. Also, attendance of the workers would now be registered digitally.

The civic body has also signed a contract with a private company, JCD Cox, for the upkeep of Connaught Place where redevelopment work ended earlier this year.

It also recently organised a rally during which schoolchildren offered flowers to people who were found littering in Connaught Place.

The civic body has a created a Facebook page, 'hohoshameshame' where it has asked people to post photographs of those they find littering or urinating at public places.

The Prime Minister had on October 2 wielded a broom and swept a pavement in Valmiki Basti, which falls under NDMC's jurisdiction, as he launched the country's biggest-ever cleanliness drive.