PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Rishikesh (MCR) has applied for a 3-star rating in the Garbage-Free City (GFC) category under Swachh Survekshan this year. The corporation has received GFC certification previously but this year, the MCR aims to upgrade its ranking, the Rishikesh municipal commissioner Shailendra Negi said.
He told The Pioneer that in a major step towards making Rishikesh a garbage-free city, the corporation has already removed all large garbage containers from across the city. These containers or bins, which could hold up to 100 kilogrammes of waste, were often overflowing, leading to unsanitary conditions, waste accumulation around the bins and waterlogging during the monsoon season. He said, “The overflowing large bins were creating multiple challenges. They not only caused garbage to spill over but also led to water stagnation during rains. Removing them was necessary for better waste management and to address the practical issues they caused.”
He said that the corporation is focusing on improving its door-to-door garbage collection system and encouraging residents to compost biodegradable waste at home to ensure locals do not need to dispose of garbage anywhere in public spaces. “We are seeing encouraging results. In several wards, we have already achieved 100 per cent garbage segregation before collection. Our teams are working diligently to ensure this becomes the norm citywide,” he said.
Negi also informed that despite removing large containers, smaller bins remain in strategic locations across Rishikesh to cater to its dynamic tourist population. “As a prominent tourist destination, the city sees fluctuations in population, so smaller bins are still essential in key areas,” he added. He also informed that this time, 70 per cent construction work of solid waste management plant has been completed in Rishikesh which will also help MCR in getting additional points to get a 3-star rating in GFC. “Besides this, we also took initiatives like establishing plastic banks and carrying out recycling work which also increases our chances of getting this -star rating in GFC,” he said.
Negi further stated that the corporation has also applied for the Water Plus certification. “For this, we need to fulfil certain criteria like no untreated wastewater enters rivers or drains and that all public toilets are connected to sewer systems and properly maintained. We have made notable progress, particularly in upgrading the community toilets and public toilets (CTPTs) systems. We are optimistic that we will get the Water Plus certification,” he added.
