200 sweepers in each ward, but MCDs still fail to clear garbage
30 Sept 2014 5:40 AM IST
But despite a 60,000 workforce with each ‘safai karmachari’ assigned just 25 square metre under his/her purview, the Capital has remained strewn with garbage.
The three municipal corporations of the Capital comprises a total 397.3 square kilometre area. Nearly 60,000 permanent and temporary sanitation workers (safai karmis) are supposed to ensure sanitation and hygiene. The corporations, which assign a small area to one worker, claim that they perform the duty properly. However, the reality is that safai karmis are hardly seen in majority of the areas. In fact with just three days to go for Modi’s Mission, they were hardly visible on the roads of the national Capital.
A visit to various nooks of the city reveals the sordid state of sanitation drive as majority of areas, where large population of the city live, are witness to accumulation of garbage. The worst affected areas were of East and South corporations where people blame zero presence of safai karmis.
Declaring the mission to be an eye wash, opposition leaders of all three corporations say that no change can be achieved without changing attitude of safai karmis and their bosses. Pointing finger at the hype around the drive, the opposition leaders asked how the city could be cleaned through a drive when it stinks on a regular basis.
‘The announcement in itself is proof that the safai karmis have not been doing their job. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overlooked this fact all these years. As there are more than 200 cleaning staff in each of the wards, there is no reason why there should be any filth but the harsh reality is that very few of the cleaning staff report for duty,’ said Mukesh Kumar Goel, leader of opposition of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
‘The senior leaders and union ministers of the government have been cleaning already clean areas. They must go in backward regions and start sanitation drive. Their one time show in front of cameras is not going to help in any manner,’ said Goel.
The three municipal corporations of the Capital comprises a total 397.3 square kilometre area. Nearly 60,000 permanent and temporary sanitation workers (safai karmis) are supposed to ensure sanitation and hygiene. The corporations, which assign a small area to one worker, claim that they perform the duty properly. However, the reality is that safai karmis are hardly seen in majority of the areas. In fact with just three days to go for Modi’s Mission, they were hardly visible on the roads of the national Capital.
A visit to various nooks of the city reveals the sordid state of sanitation drive as majority of areas, where large population of the city live, are witness to accumulation of garbage. The worst affected areas were of East and South corporations where people blame zero presence of safai karmis.
Declaring the mission to be an eye wash, opposition leaders of all three corporations say that no change can be achieved without changing attitude of safai karmis and their bosses. Pointing finger at the hype around the drive, the opposition leaders asked how the city could be cleaned through a drive when it stinks on a regular basis.
‘The announcement in itself is proof that the safai karmis have not been doing their job. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has overlooked this fact all these years. As there are more than 200 cleaning staff in each of the wards, there is no reason why there should be any filth but the harsh reality is that very few of the cleaning staff report for duty,’ said Mukesh Kumar Goel, leader of opposition of North Delhi Municipal Corporation.
‘The senior leaders and union ministers of the government have been cleaning already clean areas. They must go in backward regions and start sanitation drive. Their one time show in front of cameras is not going to help in any manner,’ said Goel.
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