City

Here’s why Sector 17 traders became a part of the cleanliness campaign in Chandigarh

Sector 17, Chandigarh Traders Association leaders participated in a cleanliness campaign in Chandigarh. The drive has been coordinating under Kamaljit Singh Panchhi ‘s presidency with the aid of the Municipal Corporation’s sanitation workers.

Panchhi said: “We took the initiative after instructions by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a week-long ‘Uncleanliness, Out of India’ campaign until Independence Day in commemoration of the ‘Swaraj’ achievement following the Quit India movement.”

Deranking in Swachh ranking

The cleanliness campaign in Chandigarh became a huge hit for India’s first planned city. Especially when it was previously it was ranked one of the worst cities in the 2016 national cleanliness survey.

Mohali also compensated the price of delay in setting up the waste management plant and insufficiency in the segregation of waste as its rating ranged from 109 to 153 in 2018. Panchkula hopped from rank 142 to rank 71 but is still having problems with the proper waste-processing plant.

Half a million tons of waste lying at the waste disposal facility in Dadumajra at Chandigarh is an example of poor waste management in the region.

“We can’t expect a good ranking until we make fundamental changes to our overall waste segregation and processing system,” MC commissioner KK Yadav said in his first response to the poor ranking of the city. “Back in the past, attempts were there. But it’s time we rethought our approach,” Yadav said.

The Improvement in the city

Chandigarh possibilities of improving on its last year’s dismal Swachh Survekshan rankings in the 2020 edition look bleak, as the city performed badly in the first two quarterly league rounds.

Although, with a closer consideration to cleanliness campaign in Chandigarh, the town got 11th place in the first quarter (April to June). However, in the second quarter (July to September) it fell to 27th place in the year 2019.

Reasons for low ranking

This league rounds’ evaluation study showed that the MC earned 64 per cent marks in door-to-door garbage collection. And, therefore, 58 per cent marks in the waste segregation yardstick.

It scored zero out of 35 marks set to formally transform informal waste pickers into sustainable livelihoods. Moreover, just 13 out of 30 marks set to introduce plastic waste management legislation.

In adopting the three Rs of waste management — Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle — the MC also scored a mediocre 17 out of 50. If it comes to involving resident welfare and business groups efficiently, it’s just only 22 out of 60.

Vinod Vashisht, the spokesperson of the City Forum of Residents Welfare Organizations, says the new league round ranking is a wake-up call for the MC, and it needs to take the necessary steps before it’s too late to make a turnaround.

Panchhi said this effort was their significant contribution to the cleanliness campaign in Chandigarh. Also, their responsibility to serve the country by cleaning it up, which would help battle the Covid-19 pandemic.

Additionally, Panchhi pleaded to all members of Chandigarh’s Market Welfare Associations and Resident Welfare Associations. Spokesperson pleads to direct individuals not to dump trash or garbage matter on roads and streets.

He thanked all association members for their assistance and participation in this initiative.

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Photo: Internet

Mansi Ghai