South DMC seeks partners to improve sanitation in colonies
13 April 2013 8:38 AM IST
Realising bhagidari to be the elixir for Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's long innings at the helm of the Delhi government, the BJP-ruled South Delhi Municipal Corporation (South DMC) has also decided to enter into a partnership with resident welfare associations (RWAs) to improve the sanitation systems in their respective areas. The corporation is planning to enter into an agreement with two RWAs, on pilot project basis, to improve sanitation by ensuring public participation.
'If successful, the scheme will be introduced in all the new colonies that have been handed over to the corporation by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The scheme will improve the sanitation system as residents will be directly monitoring it and simultaneously lower the burden on the corporation,' said Rajesh Gehlot, chairman, standing committee of the South DMC. 'In the first stage we are planning to introduce the new model in two colonies- one each in south and west zones, on pilot project basis,' added Gehlot. According to the agreement, which is being scrutinised by the law department of the corporation, the RWAs will be paid a mutually agreed upon amount and would be responsible for proper sanitation within the colonies. The corporation presently has a system of allocating sanitation workers to the colonies based on area and population density.
'We deploy three sanitation workers in an area of one kilometer, depending on the number of roads and the population,' said a South DMC spokesperson. 'The amount to be given to the RWA will be equivalent to the minimum wage of the number of sanitation workers allocated for the colony,' he added. Lok Nayak Puram, near Baprola in west zone is the first colony where the system will be introduced. The colony was recently handed over to the civic body, but no sanitation worker had been appointed for the area and the standard of sanitation in the colony is extremely poor. The colony is spread over a 75,000 sqm area, with over 2,500 houses. According to senior officers of the corporation, the cost of the project in the colony will be around Rs 70 lakhs for three years, which is less than the amount allocated for the area.
'In the absence of any designated sanitation worker for the colony, we have had to give additional responsibility to six sanitation workers from nearby colonies, to provide sanitation service here once every week,' said a senior officer of the sanitation department. The name of the second colony, in the south Delhi zone is yet to be finalised.
'If successful, the scheme will be introduced in all the new colonies that have been handed over to the corporation by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The scheme will improve the sanitation system as residents will be directly monitoring it and simultaneously lower the burden on the corporation,' said Rajesh Gehlot, chairman, standing committee of the South DMC. 'In the first stage we are planning to introduce the new model in two colonies- one each in south and west zones, on pilot project basis,' added Gehlot. According to the agreement, which is being scrutinised by the law department of the corporation, the RWAs will be paid a mutually agreed upon amount and would be responsible for proper sanitation within the colonies. The corporation presently has a system of allocating sanitation workers to the colonies based on area and population density.
'We deploy three sanitation workers in an area of one kilometer, depending on the number of roads and the population,' said a South DMC spokesperson. 'The amount to be given to the RWA will be equivalent to the minimum wage of the number of sanitation workers allocated for the colony,' he added. Lok Nayak Puram, near Baprola in west zone is the first colony where the system will be introduced. The colony was recently handed over to the civic body, but no sanitation worker had been appointed for the area and the standard of sanitation in the colony is extremely poor. The colony is spread over a 75,000 sqm area, with over 2,500 houses. According to senior officers of the corporation, the cost of the project in the colony will be around Rs 70 lakhs for three years, which is less than the amount allocated for the area.
'In the absence of any designated sanitation worker for the colony, we have had to give additional responsibility to six sanitation workers from nearby colonies, to provide sanitation service here once every week,' said a senior officer of the sanitation department. The name of the second colony, in the south Delhi zone is yet to be finalised.
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