MCDs in ‘makeover’ mode to score brownie points in polls

With the Municipal elections round the corner, the three BJP-ruled Municipal Corporations of Delhi (MCDs) have geared up for their “image makeover.” The Corporations, that have always been in dock for poor sanitation conditions in the Capital, have claimed to have  improved sanitation conditions in the city as surveyors from Quality Council of India(QCI) under the Swachh Bharat Sarvekshan, have reported to have visited the areas to observe hygiene-related measures followed by these civic agencies as well as the residents.

South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is organising a day-long regional workshop on Swacch Survekashan-2017 and Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules-2016 keeping in view the need of ensuring a better rank of the city in the Survekashan being conducted in hundred cities across the country. While the two other Corporations — North and East — have also prepared to take the cleanness mission starting from Thursday. Both the Corporations have also released a number of data claiming to complete projects in order to maintain its area clean.

SDMC Mayor Shyam Sharma said that the inauguration of the workshop will deliberate on the entire series of the preparations for the Survekashan which will be conducted in the localities under the jurisdiction from January 7 to 9. “The move will exhort the Residential Welfare Association (RWAs) to strive hard to improve the rank of the city in the Survekashan. Ranking will depend upon the status of sweeping, transportation of garbage and management of all types of waste and garbage (45 per cent); the appraisal by the quality control Council of India (25 per cent) and response of citizens (30 per cent). The ranking will be decided on the basis of scores achieved out of a hundred marks as stated above,” he said.

Presenting facts, North MCD Commissioner P K Gupta said that they are ahead in achieving all the set targets. “We are already collecting garbage door to door in 60 wards. The total garbage lifted from all the six zones is approximately 3,900 metric tonne (MT) in 2016-17 as against 3,400 MT in 2015-16. The Bhalswa waste-to-energy plant has been prepared to treat garbage of the four zones and the other plant at Narela-Bawana is on a trail run,” said Gupta.

He further added that night sweeping in the identified six zones (twelve locations) have already been started in order to keep the city clean. Total of 510 dhalaos and 186 open sites in all six zones are being cleaned regularly. “Further, several initiatives ranging from construction of ladies toilets to repairing hospitals and community halls have been made since the inception of Swachh Bharat Mission,” added the Commissioner.

The Opposition leaders, however, said that the MCDs, under the leadership of the BJP, can not improve civic services. “Forget about ‘makeover’, the agencies can’t run the Corporations in a proper manner. They have no money to pay salaries on time, make payments to the contractors and to hire staff to reduce garbage stink. Here, they can only make tall claims and promises as polls are scheduled next year,” said Mukesh Goel, LoP of North MCD.