New municipal commissioner to work for cleaner, greener and encroachment-free Doon
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The newly appointed Dehradun municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey said that improving cleanliness, removing encroachments and restoring greenery in the city would be among his top priorities. After assuming charge at the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) on Tuesday,
Pandey said that the city is facing growing urban challenges, including pollution, increasing pressure on civic infrastructure and encroachments on municipal land. “Dehradun is expanding rapidly and with that many civic challenges are also increasing. We will work towards making the city cleaner, greener and more organised,” he said.
On the issue of illegal occupation of municipal land, Pandey said that there are many complaints regarding encroachments on MCD land. Efforts will be made to free such land and ensure planned civic management. Pandey further said that the civic body should become more responsive towards public complaints and function as a welfare-oriented institution for citizens. He said that cleanliness remains one of the major priorities under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Maintaining cleanliness is not only the responsibility of the MCD but also of residents. “Public participation is equally important. A clean city cannot be achieved without public support,” he said.
The municipal commissioner also raised concerns over civic issues like stray cattle and dogs, drinking water arrangements and the condition of labourers waiting for work in different parts of the city. Pandey said that the corporation would explore ways to provide better facilities, including clean drinking water and shelter for labourers. He said that the MCD will focus on sanitation drives, encroachment removal and improving basic civic infrastructure in the coming months.
The MCD may also introduce a GPS-based tracking system that would allow residents to track door-to-door garbage collection vehicles in their areas. The proposal is still at an early stage and details are yet to be worked out, he added.
