Wednesday, 25 January 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Though the Municipal Corporation of Haridwar (MCH) has performed poorly in past editions of Swachh Survekshan (SS), the officials this year are aiming to get the city into the top 50 cleanest cities of the country and at the number one position in Uttarakhand. Haridwar in previous Swachh Survekshan editions attained 376th position in 2019, 244th position in 2020, 285th position in 2021 and 330th position in 2022.
The Haridwar municipal commissioner Dayanand Saraswati has stated that MCH has done thorough planning for improving sanitation facilities this year as per the criteria through which MoHUA gives points to civic bodies. He said that MCH is focussing on the proper execution of the plans and with more such initiatives in the upcoming months, the corporation aims to be among the top 50 cleanest cities in the country and achieve the number one position in the State. The commissioner said that the corporation has taken several initiatives this year to ensure better sanitation facilities are available across the city. The corporation established five garbage transfer stations this year in order to ensure proper transfer and disposal of garbage generated in all wards. The corporation has placed bins at all main public places to prevent littering, said Saraswati. Waste management through composting and other means is also being promoted at the local level to minimise waste generation. He said that the corporation has also applied for ODF++ certification in the field survey of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under SS. Besides this, the MCH has also applied for the certification of Garbage Free City (GFC) three-star ratings for the first time, added the commissioner. He said that the MCH has also tied up with an agency to ensure maximum plastic is being sent for recycling rather than ending up in dumps. Besides this, Saraswati said that the corporation is also making efforts to ensure it retains its title as the cleanest Ganga town in the category of more than one lakh population in the eighth edition of SS.
