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Immersion procession: Jabalpur civic body tableaux bat for a clean city
In the immersion procession of Durga idols on Wednesday, the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation displayed tableaux, banners and staged street plays to create awareness among residents about cleanliness in the city.
In the immersion procession of Durga idols on Wednesday, the Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) displayed tableaux, banners and staged street plays to create awareness among residents about cleanliness in the city.
In the tableaux, the corporation displayed a huge picture of a plant that generates electricity from the garbage to showcase its plan about solid waste disposal.
Jabalpur city ranks 63rd among top 73 clean cities of the country in a list of the Swatchhta Sarvekshan carried out under the Swatch Bharat Abhiyan by the Centre. The swatchhta sarvekshan report was released in February 2016.
The municipal corporation is now taking steps to improve the city’s position in the list.
The JMC has appealed people to volunteer in the cleanliness drive and create awareness in their areas. To make the city open defecation-free, the corporation is planning to construct more than 25,000 toilets for individuals and communities by December-end.
Manish Sharma, a social activist, appreciated the civic body’s move but wants the JMC to impose spot fine on person throwing garbage on roadside and open areas.
He asked the municipal corporation to strictly execute provisions of new Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 that empowers the local bodies to impose spot fine of `500 for violation of any norms of the rules.
Not so eco-friendly Idol immersion in state capital
Despite National Green Tribunal’s clear guidelines, immersion of Durga idols in the state capital Bhopal was not eco-friendly. Urban development minister Maya Singh and mayor Alok Sharma held meetings with officials to ensure eco-friendly immersion this year, but idols were immersed at Prempura Ghat, Bairgarah, Kamplapati, Hyathaikhera and Khatlapura ghat with all the jewellery and clothes. With most of the cleaning squads of Bhopal Municipal Corporation being on leave till Muharram, there was hardly anyone from the civic body to ask the devotees to separate the props, costume and ornaments of the idol before immersion. “The district administration should ensure in the beginning of Navratri that only idols that are eco-friendly and bio-degradable are sold. Now we cannot help this cause much,” said BMC public relations officer Harish Gupta.
Celebratory firing reported during Dussehra procession in Gwalior
Notwithstanding the local administration’s prohibitory orders, Bajraj Dal activists allegedly displayed fire arms and fired in air during a Dussehra procession in Gwalior on Tuesday evening.
Celebratory firings were reported at two spots — near Dussehra Pujan site at Nadi Gate and during the procession en route to Maharaj Bada from Nadi Gate. This was despite police imposing Section 144 of CrPC along the route.
There were also unconfirmed reports regarding arms display during Muharram procession from Maharj bada to Sagartal on Tuesday night.
Police had taken preemptive measures after tension between two groups last year following dispute over a procession. “We have asked for the video footage of processions to investigate the matter,” additional SP Dinesh Kaushal said.
Additional district magistrate Shivraj Verma said collector Sanjay Goel contacted superintendent of police HN Mishra to take necessary actions after the investigation.
