MUMBAI: 50 cities in Maharashtra will be swachh or clean cities by October 2, said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday morning, also announcing that 7000 villages in the state are now open-defecation free.
He was speaking at the NDTV-Dettol Maha Cleanathon with campaign ambassador Amitabh Bachchan by his side. Their arrival on stage drew a huge roar of applause from student and other volunteers gathered on a rainy morning to clean Mumbai’s JJ hospital and the area around it.
“Maharashtra plans to have the highest number of Swachh cities,” vowed the chief minister, before Mr Bachchan and he picked up brooms to participate in the cleanathon.
In a year’s time, the chief minister said, Maharashtra will lead the way in solid waste management. “We will process every bit of garbage,” he said.
“We hope this movement continues and we can keep our cities clean,” said mega star Amitabh Bachchan. He congratulated Maharashtra on “becoming an example for India.”
Mr Fadnavis stressed on public participation in building toilets. “If we don’t involve people in the construction of toilets, it doesn’t fulfill the purpose. It becomes a storage space,” he said.
kishore kothari
September 3, 2016 at 8:17 am
why so many people standing and watching they should also have broom in there hands
and please go to the slums first
hariom
September 3, 2016 at 12:38 pm
Take broom in your hand first, since you also are bystanders watching and criticising government.
Mohan
September 3, 2016 at 7:14 pm
I completely agree with you. This is nothing but photo op.
BlahBlahKishore
September 4, 2016 at 3:46 am
because there are people commenting on others sitting in their homes 😀
Bilal
September 5, 2016 at 9:10 am
Agree with Kishore. Let the CM and other officials, who are very highly paid by tax payers, do the job they are responsible for. Sweeping and cleaning the roads is for cleaning staff. We are also paying the Swachh Bharat tax, hope its not being used to pay the brand ambassadors.
arf
September 3, 2016 at 10:07 am
When does all this talk mean anything? Most states do not even practice the most basic process of garbage segregation.
Cyril James
September 3, 2016 at 10:09 am
Shall we all hold broom in our hands and clean our surrounding on a daily basis? Is the role of MCD and its workers is totally going to be abolished. Are the officials and the workers of MCD have no responsibility anymore. Same drive was in conducted in Faridabad in 2015, but, still not cleaned. All what happened was a photograph sessions and then to upload them on Facebook and so on.There are water logging all around that is mixed with sewer water. Rubbish is spread all over the places, cow dung all around our premises. Are the MCD authorities expecting all the residents to clean their locality every day before going to work? It is the responsibility of the resident to not to through garbage on to the street and to ensure cleanliness in the surrounding areas. If any one reading this comment want to see, come and I would be happy to show all our surroundings.
Godwin
September 3, 2016 at 11:25 am
Why so late this event organized in Metro City? Most of the parts of India are now at least 50% cleaner than they used to be before swachh bharath campaign. All the best for the Maharastra govt.
Indian
September 3, 2016 at 12:26 pm
I am from Aurangabad believe me too much bad roads, too much garbage, when will my Aurangabad number comes. For swachh Aurangabad.
Sonali panajkar
October 4, 2017 at 4:48 pm
When you start cleaning your locality with your group of friends, then aurangabad may become swachh aurangabad. Stop throwing trash outside, pick up a broom, paint box and start cleaning your streets first. That’s our responsibility as a citizen.
Raghunathan
September 3, 2016 at 1:32 pm
Street cleaning procedures need to be reviewed and updated to become more convenient and efficient. Pharma companies and food manufactures and packagers have been using them for a long time. Cleaning of public places needs to be upgraded including the old broom. It only kicks up more dust!
shri
September 3, 2016 at 1:46 pm
Wakad in the outskirts of Pune has seen tremendous development in the last few years especially due to the close proximity of Hinjewadi. Most of the developments have taken place in Kaspate Wasti in Wakad area including flyover, Banks, Hotels etc . With all the developments going on, there is a small piece of land behind Anmol Residency, which belongs to Pradikaran with no development at all. Only development seen on this land is that every year there is encroachment of slums. A few years back there was none, but today suddenly you realise that the numbers are only increasing. The females from this slum use this open land for DEFACATION and are not bothered by the high rise buildings surrounding this piece of land. On enquiry, we are informed that though there is a toilet constructed, the females(old and young) prefer the open area. Someone from the Government should inspect this place and explain to the slum dwellers and put a stop to this nonsense. This prime land can be used for better purposes than an open TOILET with the Slum encroachments increasing ……please include this place also in the 50 Swach cities as planned by CM….
Urmila
December 23, 2016 at 2:36 am
Pray your query gets answered and looked into. More slum land coming up looks like. First they will encroach and then get paid to leave it . That is so so not done. Please don’t give up. Keep at it .. get more people to support you please and stop this encroachment
tikku
September 3, 2016 at 2:56 pm
Please include the interiors when u spk of Swachchha cities. Interior areas, backyards are usually left out when u show the miracle.
Syed Asif
September 3, 2016 at 4:05 pm
Very good initiative,
Really pray for successful achivement of cause.
All of us has to be a part of this initiative by Maha Govt.
There is an urgent need of toilets in urban Maharshtra areas specially for females.
Toilets should be eco friendly and with self cleaning mechanism and with latest Automation involved.
Jai Hind Jai Maharashtra
D Kumar
September 3, 2016 at 4:22 pm
Why do you even have to do this if every citizen of country keeps streets clean ? First of all educate/ make aware of cleanliness to people who have little education , then poor people ,middle class and then rich educated people.
All these people who are shown cleaning garbage should wear gloves, mask and wellington boots. Hygiene is very important. Tell people nicely and in polite way not to throw rubbish anywhere. Make provision to dispose rubbish.
Tell them it makes streets dirty and spreads diseases due to mosquitoes.
If there is no provision for throwing rubbish away then keep it in a bag until you find dustbin.
Until law and order is followed , nothing is going to change.Make people aware by advertisement and on TV before popular shows. Fine people if you see them throwing rubbish. It will take time but it will change. People who throw rubbish on streets when they travel abroad do they do it htere ? Why because they get punishment and fine. If they urinate in public ,police gives them bucket/water and brush to clean it and embarrasses them in public. No use of force or bribe taking.
Sonali panajkar
October 4, 2017 at 4:54 pm
People like you and government have been talking and talking and talking and not DOING anything. People expect government to do everything for them ?. Cleanliness is our responsibility to and instead of talking and blaming like we’ve been doing for the last 65 years, we need to WORK. ‘Stop talking, start doing’ tgen you’ll get instant results. People of india are masters of breaking rules (traffic) and only working can inspire them.
vhdeshpande
September 3, 2016 at 5:27 pm
Sweeping streets not much difficult but go to the hospitals and its waste left uncleared by the hospital itself not in MUMBAI only but all over INDIA.
Mahesh
September 3, 2016 at 8:40 pm
I wonder how other countries have already DONE it some 100 yrs ago. They do not have big stars, big cricketers, big politicians. In this country from selling underwear to clean India, we need BIG stars.
sivaram
September 4, 2016 at 12:45 am
This should not be a one day affair like Modi did two years back.
AB
September 4, 2016 at 3:14 am
Promises were made on the pretext of Independence. Look where we are. And now you ask to wait till October!
Gerald Sequeira
September 4, 2016 at 5:41 am
I would like to ask here with what level the cities are declared clean. I dont think any city in Mumbai can be called as a clean city. I can especially talk of Kalyan, even now there are humps of garbage outside the huge Municipality Bins.
Mr. Chief Minister just walk on the skywalk of Kalyan Station. And I am sure that Kalyan is not the only city in Mumbai this is the case of most of the cities.
As a citizen I know it is my duty to keep the city clean, for that I dont litter. But it is the duty of the municipalty to clean and maintain the infrastructures of the city because they are paid for it.
I think we have taken a right step of advertising and informing citizens of keeping the city clean by Swachh Bahart. But I completely dont agree with the statement that 50 cities are declared clean cities.
Urmila
December 23, 2016 at 2:32 am
Totally agree with you
Urmila
December 23, 2016 at 2:30 am
Well , the truth is before our eyes!! Open defecation in the Khar Danda area is on full scale even as I write this. Even though few toilets available maybe.. nobody wants to spend the re1/- or2/- that is charged for every use. So it’s on big time and the stink is horrible.
Secondly we can’t talk about swachh India if we can’t keep our pavements free from encroachments and stop people from spitting on the pavements. Dustbins are minuscule in number.
Web Hosting
March 11, 2017 at 7:04 am
A senior central government official said selection of these 50 towns has been approved on the basis of recommendations by the respective states as per progress made in Swachh project there.