In race for cleanest city title, Navi Mumbai civic body puts up dustbins, works on feedback

With Swachh Survekshan 2021 barely a few days away, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is now focussing more on the residents’ feedback section to win the title of the cleanest city in Maharashtra for the sixth consecutive year

With Swachh Survekshan 2021 barely a few days away, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is now focussing more on the residents’ feedback section to win the title of the cleanest city in Maharashtra for the sixth consecutive year.

An artist gives finishing touches to indicate Swachh Survekshan 2021 and create awareness of keeping the city clean. (Praful Gangurde/HT photo)

From installing dustbins every 200m, and beautifying gardens and roads, to mapping the public toilets in the city, the corporation is going out of its way to impress the residents.

Of the total 6,000 marks for the survey, the residents’ feedback section has been allotted 1,800 marks (it was only 1,500 last year). Ever since the government of India started conducting this survey, Navi Mumbai has retained the tag of ‘cleanest city of Maharashtra’.

In an effort to give an impressive look to the city, the NMMC is now cleaning and painting the walls and road dividers. They have also replaced broken dustbins with new ones and have ensured that dustbins are placed every 200m. Roads are being swept twice a day in the residential and commercial areas.

The NMMC also initiated creek clean-up drives at several places.

Babasaheb Rajale, deputy municipal commissioner of NMMC (solid waste management), said, “The central government officials will randomly call residents and ask if the roads are swept in Navi Mumbai properly or if the public toilets can be located on maps, among others. We are doing all this but if the residents are not aware, they will not give positive replies.

“NMMC eyes the tag of cleanest city in India, not only in Maharashtra. Last year, Navi Mumbai was declared the third cleanest city in India. And for the past five consecutive years, Navi Mumbai has retained the tag of the cleanest city of Maharashtra.”

The NMMC is distributing pamphlets in the housing societies mentioning all the initiatives they are undertaking. “Awareness is also made through public announcements in vehicles and playing a jingle made by Bollywood singer Shankar Mahadevan, the brand ambassador of Swachh Navi Mumbai,” he said.

The NMMC has also upgraded nearly 50 gardens and also installed open air gyms in 60 of them. Around 100 gardens in NMMC have composting pit while the defunct toilets and fountains have been repaired.

According to Rajale, almost all the housing societies in the city are now segregating dry waste from the wet ones before handing those to the waste collection vehicles. The NMMC stopped collecting waste from those societies that did not segregate during the lockdown as a punitive measure.

Certain places in Navi Mumbai fall in the jurisdictions of other agencies such as Cidco and MIDC. The NMMC is also conducting meetings with these agencies to ensure measures from their end.

Hemant Sharma, an activist from Vashi, said, “As far as cleanliness is concerned, the NMMC is doing an impressive work. But the scenario may not be the same in slums and gaonthan areas. For example, many of those people are still not segregating their wastes. The NMMC should pay due attention to those areas so that they can achieve the desired results.”

Another official from the solid waste management department said, “Our officials are regularly visiting those places and instructing the residents to segregate wastes. Our regular waste collecting vehicles cannot enter certain areas due to narrow roads. Therefore, we have arranged smaller vehicles and handcarts for those areas. The slums and gaonthan areas are also being swept twice a day.”

HOW NMMC KEEPS NAVI MUMBAI CLEAN:

Fine of ₹200 per flat imposed on a daily basis for not segregating dry waste from wet ones.

Door-to-door campaign started so that every household segregates wastes before handing them to society sweepers.

Agencies roped in for collecting and disposing of e-wastes in a scientific way. Such wastes collected at public places and disposed of free of cost.

Wall-painting drive started to create awareness among the people. Road dividers are cleaned and colourful flowers planted.

Parks and gardens modernised. Open air gyms and playing instruments installed in many of them.

Dustbins have been installed every 200m even though the government standard is one every 500m.

Public toilets cleaned, water connection provided.

City roads cleaned twice a day.