Centre, Delhi govt join hands for Swachh Abhiyan

Speaking at the launch of ‘Swachch Delhi Abhiyan’ in the national Capital, which would be observed in the city from November 22-30, to make it free of garbage and construction debris, Naidu said, “We should set aside politics and work together to make Delhi, which is a mini-India, clean. 

I’m delighted to be part of this initiative, where all the three levels of governance – Centre, Delhi administration and urban local bodies – have decided to work in tandem to rid Delhi of filth, garbage and other waste. This is not BJP team or AAP team but Team India.” 

The Union minister also handed over a cheque of Rs 96.7 crore to the Delhi government as funds from the Urban Development Ministry, which Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal promptly handed over to the urban local bodies at the event. The Delhi Chief Minister, speaking earlier, also hailed the event as “the true spirit of cooperative federalism” and said “political divisions” should not deter us from acting in public good.

“I will tell you our problem in cleaning our cities is not technicalities, but the missing political will. And, today that political will I see here, from Centre to the local bodies.... And, I credit Naiduji for the positive attitude from his side,” Kejriwal said.

“I am sure, if we can work together, we can solve our problems, and people will appreciate us all,” Kejriwal added. Under the overarching framework of the ‘Swachch Bharat’ initiative, Delhi government had on November 16 launched the ‘Swachch Delhi App’ which allows people to take pictures and lodge complaints in connection with sanitation conditions in the city. 

Senior Delhi government officials at the event announced that over 13,000 complaints have already been received at the central control room and accordingly forwarded to the respective local body. The Union minister said that in Delhi, “1.25 lakh individual household toilets are to be built by 2019, but work in this regard is still to commence.” He asked Kejriwal to look into this matter.

Chief Minister Kejriwal while listing that issues faced in carrying out sanitation activities in the city, said, “The biggest problem was multiplicity of agencies. Our priority includes cleaning the city and cleaning Yamuna. But, as long as there is multiplicity, Yamuna cannot be cleaned in even 100 years. So like DMRC (Delhi Metro), if a special purpose vehicle could be made, it will go a long way in solving our problems and make Delhi a cleaner place, much quicker.”

The initiative comes close on the heels of the sanitation crisis in the city after the employees of civic bodies went on strike over non-payment of salaries, an issue on which the BJP-ruled municipal corporations and AAP government had traded charges.