Greater Noida authority steps up cleaning amid workers’ stir

GREATER NOIDA: Sanitation arrangements across Greater Noida have been stepped up after contractual sanitation workers, hired through private contractors by the Greater Noida authority, have gone on strike from July 1 over wage-related demands

GREATER NOIDA: Sanitation arrangements across Greater Noida have been stepped up after contractual sanitation workers, hired through private contractors by the Greater Noida authority, have gone on strike from July 1 over wage-related demands.

The Authority has mobilised personnel from its health and project departments across all eight work circles to ensure prompt garbage clearance and monitor cleanliness. (HT Photos)

According to Greater Noida authority officials, longer cleaning shifts, increased mechanised sweeping, and deployment of senior officials for field inspections have been put in place as measures to minimise disruption in civic services.

The Authority has mobilised personnel from its health and project departments across all eight work circles to ensure prompt garbage clearance and monitor cleanliness.

Talking to HT, residents and citizen groups, however, flagged sanitation issues being witnessed in some parts of the city.

Around the Ramlila Ground in UPSIDA site-4, members of the Active Citizen Team alleged that garbage heaps and overgrown bushes have been lying unattended. “Garbage has accumulated around the Ramlila Ground and overgrown bushes have made the area look neglected. We have urged the authority to launch a clean-up drive,” said Harendra Bhati, a member of the Active Citizen Team.

“Garbage has been lying here for days, but not being cleared. Instead, waste from nearby areas is dumped at this spot, and stray cattle and dogs scatter it further, making the surroundings unhygienic,” said Puneet Tanwar, another resident of Sector Mu-2, Greater Noida, who has urged the Authority through photographs on social media for action on the site.

Meanwhile, Srilakshmi VS, additional chief executive officer (ACEO, Greater Noida authority, said, “Senior officers have been deployed across the city to monitor sanitation work, and departments have been directed to take immediate corrective measures wherever required.”

Officials said to compensate for the reduced workforce, manual cleaning operations have been extended from 6am to 6pm, while the number of mechanised road sweepers and garbage collection vehicles has been increased.

Door-to-door waste collection is continuing, and teams from the horticulture department and the quick response team have also been deployed to support sanitation operations, they added.

“Contractors have been directed to deploy adequate sanitation workers. If sanitation standards are not maintained, they could face blacklisting, and accountability will also be fixed on officials supervising the respective areas,” said RK Bharti, general manager (health), Greater Noida authority.

The authority has also initiated action against contractors over sanitation lapses, imposing a ₹3 lakh penalty on an outsourcing private company -- ₹2 lakh for inadequate sanitation in Zone 5 and ₹1 lakh for poor cleanliness in Ecotech-3 and Sectors 2 and 3.