
GMC bags Swachh Survekshan award
Mayor Kovelamudi Ravindra, GMC commissioner Puli Srinivasulu will receive the award from President Draupadi Murmu at a programme to be held at Vidya Bhavan in Delhi on July 17.
Puli Srinivasulu congratulated the people, public health department staff and workers who tried their best for improving sanitation and to get the national level award.
This is the second consecutive year that GMC bagged Swachh Survekshan award.
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Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Mohali suffocating under garbage, but no sight of waste mgmt plant at Samgoli
Even as Mohali grapples with a growing solid waste crisis, the much-needed Solid Waste Management Project at Samgoli in Dera Bassi remains entangled in bureaucratic red tape. After years of delay, the municipal corporation (MC) has established two waste management facilities at Shahimajra and Jagatpura. (HT Photo) Land for the project was allotted in 2012. But 13 years later, the project remains hanging in balance, leaving the city choking under mounds of unprocessed garbage and denting its Swachh Survekshan score each year. Stinking heaps have become landmarks across neighbourhoods, drawing flies and stray animals, much to residents' dismay. Housing a population of 2.3 lakh, Mohali generates around 150 tonnes of waste daily. But shockingly, it still lacks a permanent mechanism for processing the garbage. After years of delay, the municipal corporation (MC) has established two waste management facilities at Shahimajra and Jagatpura. But despite sheds and machinery in place, both plants remain non-functional. The Shahimajra plant has a processing capacity of 40 tonnes per day, while the Jagatpura facility can handle 80 tonnes. Land acquisition hanging fire, no access road Records show that in 2012, the Punjab government planned to acquire 50 acres for the Samgoli project, as a solution to Mohali's garbage woes. However, only 39 acres were acquired by the local bodies department in 2013, with the remaining 11 acres are still pending with the revenue department. A boundary wall was constructed at a cost of ₹35 lakh, and the initial plan was for Mohali MC to build a Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) plant. When no private players submitted bids, the matter was handed over to the local bodies department. The department later involved HPCL and GAIL for technical inspection, with HPCL preparing an estimate of ₹27 crore for the CBG plant. The company also demanded road access and wrote to the tehsildar in May last year for land demarcation. A follow-up letter was sent to the department of rural development and panchayati raj in July 2024, which approved road construction at an estimated cost of ₹29 crore. However, the project, to be implemented under the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation (PMIDC), has been awaiting clearance from the head office since March 2025. City mayor Amarjit Singh Sidhu said, 'We have already written to the local bodies department to expedite the project. Mohali is overwhelmed by solid waste in the absence of proper processing mechanism. As a result, garbage piles are spreading across the city, posing serious health risks,' he said. 'There is no official dumping ground. Waste is being randomly dumped at RMC collection points. Residents are living in miserable, unhygienic conditions, while the government is dilly-dallying on the matter,' Sidhu added. Sucha Singh Kalaur, president of the Sector 76-80 Plot Allotment Welfare Committee, also criticised the state government: 'The city has gone to the dogs. Heaps of garbage and foul smells are everywhere. This is the so-called 'Future City' they promised?' The mounting crisis has been reflected in national cleanliness rankings as well. In the Swachh Survekshan results announced on July 17, Mohali slipped to 128th place among 903 cities (with populations between 50,000 and 3 lakh), down from 82nd last year. Within Punjab, the city dropped to 11th place among 35 cities, a stark fall from its first-place ranking last year among cities with populations over 1 lakh.


New Indian Express
a day ago
- New Indian Express
Swachh honour for Tirupati's women workforce
TIRUPATI: he temple city of Tirupati has once again proven its excellence in public sanitation, clinching the Presidential Award in the Swachh Survekshan Super League 2024-25 under the 3 to 5 lakh population category. The credit for this remarkable achievement goes not just to high-level planning but to the relentless efforts of more than 400 women sanitary workers, whose hard work and dedication kept the city clean, day in and day out. From Tirupati Municipal Corporation (MCT) Commissioner N Mourya to grassroots workers like P Subbamma, an illiterate yet committed sanitary worker, the collective spirit of teamwork and resilience has propelled Tirupati to the top spot in the country's most prestigious cleanliness competition for the third consecutive year. These women begin their work before sunrise, typically starting at 5.00 am and stretching until 5.30 pm, with a short lunch break. Armed with brooms, carts, and an unwavering spirit, they sweep streets, clear debris, and manage waste across the city's 31.5 km radius. With a population of 5.5 lakh, Tirupati generates around 252 tonnes of waste daily - a mammoth task by any standard. The civic chief acknowledged the pivotal role played by women workers, saying, 'More than 60% of our sanitation workforce comprises women. Their unwavering commitment and consistent presence on the roads have been key to securing this prestigious award. Except for driving sanitary vehicles, they now handle nearly all aspects of sanitation work with growing confidence, while also managing their family responsibilities.' She added that during the Swachh Survekshan drive, she visited the wards from 5.30 to 8.00 am daily to guide the workers, listen to their concerns, and keep morale high. 'This hands-on approach helped sharpen focus and unity among the teams. This year, we also ensured 100% door-to-door garbage collection, a crucial factor in our top-ranking success.'


Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Ganga at core of cleanliness drive
Patna: Elated with the city's performance in Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2024, the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is preparing to launch an extensive cleanliness campaign. This drive is aimed at enhancing public sensitivity towards the Ganga river and foster a broader movement for environmental awareness and civic hygiene. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The campaign will be conducted in phases. From Aug 1 to Aug 15, the PMC will sensitise its employees, stakeholders and enforcement teams. From Aug 15 to Oct 2, the corporation will carry out a citywide campaign to raise public awareness and penalise those found littering on roads or near rivers, or using plastic. Municipal commissioner Animesh Kumar Prashar described garbage and plastic as the two primary adversaries of the civic body. "Our teams are working on both fronts to maintain cleanliness in the city," he said. "To enforce the plastic ban, we will focus on three dimensions – suppliers of polythene, its users, and behavioural change. For this, three dedicated wings will be created," he added. Explaining the structure, Prashar said, "The first wing will focus on awareness and behavioural change. The second, the information wing, will track the sources of plastic supply and plug the gaps. The third wing will be responsible for enforcement, ensuring timely action against violators when information is received." Volunteers will engage students in the cleanliness campaign, encouraging them to dissuade their families from dumping plastic and other pollutants into the Ganga. For cleaning the river, PMC will establish a 'Ganga Task Force' comprising 10 to 50 volunteers at each ghat. These volunteers will not only assist in cleaning but also raise awareness among visitors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A ddressing the media on Saturday, Prashar said the campaign would be driven by the theme 'Mera Shehar, Meri Jawabdehi' (My City, My Responsibility). "People's participation is equally vital in keeping the city clean. The river plays a crucial role in the ecosystem of a city. A clean river reflects the city's identity. We will involve the youth and create awareness at the ghats through various cleaning activities. In collaboration with the Bihar State Pollution Control Board, we will impose fines on individuals found polluting the Ganga, as per the Act," he said. The Commissioner highlighted the PMC's goal to further improve the city's performance in the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2025. "We are aiming for a five-star Garbage-Free City (GFC) rating. Last year, we received a one-star rating, and this year we achieved three stars," he noted. He added, "It is essential to continue our campaign against plastic, conduct cleanliness drives, and prioritise waste processing to enhance our city's ranking in the next cleanliness survey. For the waste processing plant at the Ramachak Bairiya landfill site, the back-end work required to initiate the bidding process will be completed within the next two to three months." As part of long-term plans, a 15-megawatt waste-to-energy plant will be set up at the landfill site. In addition, several other waste management facilities will be established, including a 100-tonnes-per-day (TPD) biomethanation plant, a 250-TPD material recovery facility (MRF)-cum-refuse derived fuel plant, a 50-TPD MRF plant, a 700-TPD compost plant, and 325-TPD sanitary landfill units. Other initiatives under this campaign will include the reuse of bottles for plantation ('safety from bottles'), activities to maintain garbage-vulnerable points (GVPs), the 'mission plantation' drive, a 'plastic-free Ganga' initiative, and awareness campaigns like 'say no to plastic' and intensive cleanliness drives across the city.