Gurugram civic body forms committee to improve sanitation, implement Swachh Bharat Mission parameters

The committee, formed by MCG commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja on Thursday, was given a seven-day deadline, September 23, to submit a report on their findings and suggestions on improving each aspect of Swachh Bharat Mission

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has formed a four-member committee to help improve sanitation, and implement Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) parameters in the city, officials said on Friday.

MCG sanitation workers cleaning the road in Gurugram. (HT File)

The committee, formed by MCG commissioner Mukesh Kumar Ahuja on Thursday, was given a seven-day deadline, September 23, to submit a report on their findings and suggestions on improving each aspect of SBM. A meeting will be organised in the fourth week of this month to deliberate on the matter, said MCG officials.

The committee includes MCG chief town planner (CTP) Madhusmita Moitra, deputy municipal commissioner Dr Vijaypal Yadav, joint commissioner (headquarters) Hariom Attri, and additional municipal commissioner Rohtash Bishnoi.

“These officers will submit their report in seven days after assessing all the parameters set under the Swachh Bharat Mission in their respective zones and thereafter will suggest means to improve cleanliness and evaluate the implementation of Solid Waste Management Rules-2016. The said officers will also visit their respective areas to assess the ground reality regarding cleanliness in their respective zones,” said SS Rohilla, public relations officer (PRO), MCG.

As per officials, all MCG joint commissioners have also been directed by Ahuja to join the officers in their respective zones during the evaluation process.

MCG officials said that they will be focusing on the garbage-free city (GFC) category to improve the city’s rankings.

The Swachh Bharat Mission’s GFC rating has 25 key components, such as the door-to-door collection of waste, sweeping, scientific waste processing, storage bins, penalties for violations, cleaning of drains and water bodies, among others.

In both the 2020 and 2019 surveys, the city ranked poorly in the GFC category.

In the 2019 survey, the city got two stars out of a possible seven in the category while last year’s survey found two municipal wards in the city were not swept.

After the 2020 survey, former MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh identified GFC as the main category the MCG had to improve upon.

For the 2021 survey, the GFC rating amounts to 1,800 points of the total 6,000 points of the Swachh Bharat Mission ranking.

In last year’s survey, GFC was under the certification category-- in which the city scored 500 out of 1,500 points. The city scored 600 out of 1,250 points in 2019 in the same category.

“Around 30% of all points in the 2021 survey will be under the GFC category, in which Gurugram has performed poorly. Unless we make changes, the city’s score will plummet and it will reflect in the rankings against the rest of the country. Hence, we will prioritise the GFC category and look at weak points and ways it can be improved,” said a senior MCG official privy to the matter.