Delhi Cantonment Board steps up sanitation plan to improve ranking

The Delhi Cantonment Board has stepped up waste management and beautification efforts as it seeks to improve its position in the ‘Swachh Bharat’ ranking to unseat Mysuru, which had topped it last year.

“We have initiated several measures to spruce up and beautify the Cantonment area and are aiming for a zero-waste policy for proper waste management. We are also working on the rejuvenation of water bodies,” said B Reddy Sankar Babu, CEO of the Delhi Cantonment Board. The Delhi Cantonment area is spread over 10,791.88 acres and, as per the 2011 Census, its population stands at 1,10,351.

The Delhi Cantonment Board had ranked 15th in the ‘Swachh Bharat’ survey released in August last year, finishing one position ahead of posh New Delhi Municipal Council. Greater Mumbai stood at a lowly 140, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi figured at 398.

“As part of our policy, horticulture waste is being processed into bio-fuel and liquid waste would be separately processed, for which plants are being set up. We have over 50 parks and gardens under our jurisdiction and in the past few months, we have also installed 33 iron-made gazebos across the area for shelter and ornamental purposes,” Babu said.

The Delhi Cantonment Board collects 70 tonnes of garbage from 17,700 houses every day. It has installed 45 fixed dust bins and 400 mobile dust bins to ensure proper and effective waste collection, besides running 16 vehicles for the purpose. 

“We are 15th at present, but we want to improve our services and aesthetic look of the area and 

compete right with Mysuru on the top. So, four natural water bodies would be rejuvenated as part of our overall plan to improve civic amenities and the look and feel of the area,” Babu said.

“We have twice won an award from the Raksha Mantri for maintaining cleanliness in our area and we hope to beat the Mysuru Corporation in the ‘Swachh Bharat’ ranking," he added. As part of its sanitation drive, the Board had recently appointed Lok Sabha MP Meenakshi Lekhi as its ‘Swachh Bharat’ brand ambassador and launched a mobile application ‘Samadhan’ to address sanitation-related grievances.

“The Cantonment Board has performed and it is evident in its ranking as much as in the improved look of the surroundings. We have to keep this momentum going and fight for the top position. I also hope that the Board would be able to offer the best pilot on waste management policy to the Centre, where no garbage or waste would go to landfill but be recycled as fuel or some other material,” Lekhi had said.

The Delhi Cantonment was established in 1914 and till February 1938, the Cantonment Board Delhi used to be known as Cantonment Authority. The area houses some of the crucial military assets of the country.