Latest news with #Swachh
Hans India
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
MLA vows strict action on past civic graft
Anantapur: Anantapur MLA Daggupati Prasad made strong remarks against corruption during the previous government, stating that no one involved in irregularities in the Municipal Corporation will be spared. Speaking at the launch event of new Swachh vehicles worth Rs. 2.05 cr, alongside MP Ambika, the MLA said that the current alliance government has shown visible development in just 11 months of rule. He accused the former MLA and Mayor of misappropriating Rs. 22 cr in the dumping yard project, adding that Rs 9 cr of the corruption has already been proven, with full details to be revealed soon. He stressed that strict legal action would be taken against all those involved. Drawing a parallel with Kadapa, Daggupati noted that even a Mayor was removed when similar corruption was uncovered and assured similar accountability in their municipality.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pune civic body okays ₹4.3-crore high-tect e-toilet project
Even as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) struggles to maintain 11 high-tech e-toilets installed across the city, it has now cleared a ₹4.31 crore plan to construct air-conditioned (AC) 'smart toilets' at major entry points and the Pune railway station. These new toilets will include modern features like WiFi, mobile and laptop charging points—drawing comparisons to mall-style restrooms. Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, 11 automated e-toilets were set up in prominent locations such as Jangli Maharaj Road, Model Colony, Bhandarkar Road, Senapati Bapat Road, Vimannagar, and Taljai Tekdi. Built using ₹2 crore from the Member of Parliament (MP) fund of former MP Anil Shirole, the unmanned facilities offered automatic cleaning and user-friendly interfaces. However, poor upkeep and thefts rendered most of them unusable. Today, only three are functional. 'The civic body is now planning to relocate the remaining e-toilets to safer locations to prevent further damage,' said an official familiar with the matter. Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole, son of Anil Shirole, is currently in talks with civic officials to revive the e-toilet project and ensure better monitoring and maintenance. Despite these setbacks, the PMC has approved a fresh project to build five high-end AC toilets in high-footfall areas. The new toilets, designed along the lines of those in malls and multiplexes, aim to provide clean, comfortable facilities to commuters and visitors. 'These modern toilets will be built near major city entry points and Pune station. They will be fully air-conditioned and equipped with smart features. The estimated cost is ₹4.31 crore,' said Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department. The five planned locations include Katraj Chowk ( ₹86.11 lakh), Balewadi on Pune-Mumbai Road ( ₹86.25 lakh), Shewalwadi Bus Depot on Pune-Solapur Road ( ₹86.35 lakh), Pune Railway Station ( ₹86.08 lakh), and Wagholi on Pune-Nagar Road ( ₹86.40 lakh). To ensure ongoing upkeep, the PMC will allow advertising rights at the sites. The toilets will be paid-use. Currently, the city has around 1,200 public toilets, but most are in poor condition. Citizens routinely report broken plumbing, water shortages, and overall unhygienic conditions, despite the corporation spending crores on maintenance. The push for upgraded toilet infrastructure comes after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed the PMC in December to build high-quality public toilets in the city. Pune's first modern public toilet falls into disrepair Built in 2011 at Parvati Industrial Estate on Satara Road, Pune's first modern toilet block featured nine seats, stylish interiors, and cost ₹10 lakh. Once a model facility, it now lies in poor condition due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
GHMC eyes 7-star rating under Swachh Bharat Mission
Hyderabad: Can Hyderabad be the next Indore in cleanliness? Will the city achieve the cleanliness Swachh standards set by cities like Surat? The forthcoming Swachh Survekshan (SS-2024) assessment is set to be a decisive factor in determining the city's progress towards these sanitation benchmarks. Following 3-star and 5-star ratings in 2022 and 2023, respectively, for the garbage-free city category, the GHMC is now eyeing a 7-star rating under the Swachh Bharat Mission . If successful, Hyderabad will be ranked alongside Indore, Mysore, Bhopal, and Vizag as one of the cleanest cities in the country. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad However, GHMC is facing an obstacle in obtaining this coveted rating, as more than 2,000 locations across the city remain vulnerable to garbage accumulation. Following the implementation of the garbage-free city star rating in 2021, GHMC cleared around 600 garbage vulnerable points (GVPs) across the city by removing roadside bins and introducing door-to-door collection services using the Swachh auto tippers that collect waste directly from residences. To address waste disposal, the civic body installed surveillance cameras at GVPs. Recently, GHMC also implemented an e-challan system to impose fines ranging from 100 to 10,000, depending on the offence. These fines will be levied on individuals found disposing of garbage in nalas, dumping construction and demolition waste in open spaces and water bodies. "To deter citizens from waste disposal in open spaces, we have implemented a comprehensive challan management system. In the past 45 days, around 800 challans were issued, resulting in penalties totalling 18.4 lakh. Regarding GVPs, their predominant location near slum settlements poses a challenge. To address this issue, we are deploying 1,000 bins near these locations, with initial implementation already underway in the Old City area," said a senior official in the sanitation wing of GHMC. Under Swachh Survekshan, GHMC marginally improved its ranking from 13 in 2021 to 9 in 2023. Since 2016, when Swachh Survekshan commenced, the civic body achieved notable recognition as the 'Best State Capital/UT in solid waste management' amongst 4,203 cities and secured the top position among five major metropolitan cities in 2019 under a special category. Currently, the evaluation process for the 9th edition of Swachh Survekshan (SS-2024), which focuses on the theme 'Reduce Reuse Recycle', is in progress. While the first three phases of the survey have been completed, some crucial changes have been made in the toolkit under phase 4 assessment, which includes the 'Super Swachh League', a focus on tourist and high footfall places, promoting the integration of Swachhata values within schools, and penalties.
Hans India
03-05-2025
- Hans India
City residents fume with rage over garbage burning
Hyderabad: The increase in garbage burning and illegal dumping in the city is alarming. Residents are voicing their concerns about open burning in various localities, especially with rising temperatures leading to significant fire hazards. Despite the risks and recent fire incidents, the practice persists. With the rising heat, the threat of major fires looms larger, prompting residents to call on the GHMC's sanitation department to take action. They urge for regular garbage collection instead of allowing it to pile up. Although burning garbage is against the law and carries hefty fines, both citizens and sanitation workers continue to flout these regulations without fear. Residents and activists alleged that instead of picking up the garbage, the sanitation workers are burning it, resulting in immense pollution. 'In recent times, the city has witnessed back to back massive fire accidents. And both residents and GHMC workers with their lackadaisical attitude lit the fire in waste,' said Shivashankar, a resident of Ameerpet. In many incidents, the Fire department was urgently called to extinguish flames. Venkateshwarlu, a Saidabad resident, expressed concern over the irregular collection of waste by Swachh auto tippers, leading to significant garbage accumulation on the streets. With rising complaints about mosquitoes, the overwhelmed sanitation staff resort to burning the trash. Similarly, Shahid Ali from Chaderghat reported that on Thursday evening, a sanitation worker ignited a fire in the garbage beneath the Chaderghat flyover, which quickly escalated. 'We promptly notified the Fire Department to prevent a major disaster, and they arrived swiftly to bring the situation under control,' he added. Despite the Telangana State government's ban on garbage burning implemented in 2017, areas such as Nagole, Uppal, Yousufguda, Balanagar, Amberpet, Kukatpally, Malakpet, Chaderghat, Santosh Nagar, Yakutpura, Kondapur, Miyapur, Manikonda, Gachibowli, and many others across the city continue to witness this harmful practice without any noticeable improvement. Mohammed Ahmed, a social activist, emphasised that in Telangana, burning waste is considered a serious offence that can result in a hefty fine of up to Rs 25,000. Unfortunately, due to the irregular collection of garbage by municipal vehicles, the corporation's own employees have resorted to burning the waste. Additionally, he highlighted the alarming practice of openly burning trees that were recently felled by officials throughout the city. Moreover, on social media platforms, when the netizens raised the issue on X, posting about the burning of garbage, there was no response from them. 'However, on repeated complaints, the concerned GHMC officer responded with a reply that 'the fire has been doused',' one Siddiq posted on X.
