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Navi Mumbai Eyes Cleanest City Award, Launches A Swachh Scheme – Go Litter-Free And Win Rs 1 Lakh
In a bid to earn the cleanest city title in Swachh Survekshan 2018, Navi Mumbai is incentivising housing societies to maintain 100% cleanliness which in turn will help the city remain spick and span
Highlights
- Navi Mumbai to hold internal cleanliness survey from October end onwards
- The competition aims to achieve 100% source segregation in Navi Mumbai
- Navi Mumbai was ranked as 8th cleanest city in Swachh Survekshan 2017
New Delhi: An open defecation free (ODF) region, efficient solid waste management, focus on community and public toilets combined with numerous awareness programmes – that’s the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan scenario in Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai city. This ODF city was the only city in Maharashtra to have featured in the list of top cleanest cities in India, with an all India ranking of eight in Swachh Survekshan 2017. With an aim to hold its ranking and hopefully to improve it and emerge as the cleanest city of India in the next Swachh Survekshan, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will conduct an internal cleanliness survey in its societies, hospitals, educational institutes and markets.
The goal of this competition is to improve our existing practices of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. If every society keeps their premises clean, garbage free, litter free and ends open defecation/urination then the cleanliness quotient of the city will automatically increase, says Tushar Pawar, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management, NMMC.
To ensure maximum citizen participation, the civic body will give out Rs 1 Lakh to the housing society that thoroughly executes the principles of Clean India Mission. Rs 75,000 and Rs 50,000 will be given to the first and second runner up buildings. Other institutions like schools, colleges, hospitals, markets and hotels will be given certificates. Societies interested can register till October 23. The survey will go on for next one month and the results will be announced by the end of November. It will be judged by a panel of experts which will include local NGOs, Self-Help Groups, ward officials and the sanitation department of NMMC.
The swachhta competition will not be restricted only to the public establishments but will also extend to the civic-owned bodies. Community or public toilets, gardens and wards which are owned by the NMMC but their maintenance are outsourced to private contractors, will be marked on the same cleanliness criteria. These bodies will be rewarded in one form or the other. For instance if a public toilet is found to be unclean and unhygienic then the contract will be terminated.
Societies will broadly be marked under six parametres. Just like Centre’s recent cleanliness survey where the category of waste management was allotted maximum points, Navi Mumbai will also follow the suit.
Also Read: Indore’s Latest Swachh Mantra: Achieve 100% Cleanliness And Win 1 Crore
Navi Mumbai generates nearly 700 tonnes of waste per day and as of now 60 per cent of the families segregates waste. Through this competition we aim to achieve 100 per cent source segregation, adds Mr Pawar.
To increase the chances of winning Rs 1 lakh, a society will have to ensure that all its flat members segregate dry and wet waste before handing it over to the NMMC. Societies with bulk generation of waste will be judged on source composting. Though composting in building premises isn’t mandatory but doing so will help societies earn extra points.
“We have initiated the process of notifying every housing society to start source composting. In next few months, a law on the same is expected to come in,” says Mr Pawar.
In lines of waste management, the societies will have to keep enough bins in its premises to curb littering. Buildings will also have to ensure that toilets for its staffs (watchman, sweeper, etc) are well maintained. Boundary wall, internal roads, entry gate will also be judged for its cleanliness. In terms of liquid waste management, water tank of the building and tanks in individual households will be inspected as well. Though not mandatory, but planting trees and keeping the society green will also help the building earn extra points.