Open House: How can Chandigarh figure among top three cleanest cities of country?

Waste management a major issue

Advertisement

Management of and disposal of waste is a major issue, which is still unresolved on the ground level. Collection of separate dry and wet waste is mostly on papers and is also erratic. For successful implementation of any scheme, the emphasis of the authorities should be on surprise checking at site by senior officials rather than depending on the data of the MC web portals, which may be misleading. The movement of two-bin vehicles needs to be monitored.

TS Madan, Chandigarh

UT has to go a long way

The UT still has to go a long way if it is aspires to become a smart city. Dry and wet waste must be segregated at home before handing over to garbage collectors. Domestic helps can be trained to segregate waste. A task force can be formed to keep a check on waste collection in the city. Sanitary workers should be regularised, trained and paid well to keep them motivated to work diligently.

Yash Khetarpal, Panchkula

MC needs to make Sincere efforts

The Chandigarh Administration and the civic body should rope in resident welfare associations to ensure that their respective wards are kept clean. The civic body should re-carpet roads, keep toilets clean and make sure that there is no garbage littering in the city. Garbage should be collected from every place daily. Moreover, residents should put in sincere efforts to maintain cleanliness around their residences.

MR Bhateja, NayaGaon

Make efforts to improve cleanliness

Residents feedback regarding garbage collection is poor. Their involvement in maintaining cleanliness around residences is negligible. To improve Swachh Survekshan ranking, the Administration and residents should make efforts to imporve cleanliness. The main problem is that the UT Administration is managed by officers from Haryana and Punjab. This creates hurdles in coordination and implementing schemes.

Vineet Gandhi, Chandigarh

Reduce, reuse and recycle

The City Beautiful as Chandigarh is called may outwardly look clean, but lacks garbage segregation at source. Clean cities are outcome of good governance and cooperative leadership. The MC should ensure that doorstep collection of garbage is regular and dry and wet waste is segregated at source. Recycling waste products and using them helps in keeping city green and clean. This will improve city’s Swachh Survekshan ranking.

Anureet Dhami, Zirakpur

Take care of all sectors

Its good Chandigarh has bounced back in Swachh Survekshan ranking but still a lot needs to done to reach top. All sectors should be taken care of. Footpaths, trees and roads are not maintained in the city. The MC needs to handle wastage regularly. Stray animals must not roam in the city. The heritage of Chandigarh should be maintained by the authorities concerned.

Opinder Kaur Sekhon, Chandigarh

Onus on residents as well

Though officially the civic authorities are responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the city, but the onus is on residents too. The civic authorities cannot do anything without residents’ co-operation. Residents should maintain cleanliness not only in their homes, but in their surroundings too. A habit of maintaining cleanliness should be inculcated in children. The Municipal Corporation should keep an eye upon on all tourist places where a lot of littering is noticed. Challaning people, who do not dispose of garbage in dustbins, can be effective in checking littering. Municipal Corporation employees should work diligently. Only combined efforts of the civic authorities and residents can improve cleanliness standards, which in turn will improve city’s Swachh Survekshan ranking.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

City lagging due to MC’s negligence

Negligence of the MC is the only reason behind sliding of city’s Swachh Surekshan ranking. One can notice heaps of garbage, choked rainwater drains, uncut grass and tree branches lying on road sides and in parks. People throw garbage in open spaces near their homes. Supervisors should be strict with safai karamcharis. Garbage should be lifted every day from homes and roadsides.

Sukhwant Bhullar, Chandigarh

Youngsters litter in parks

Roadside vendors keep dustbins too, but just for formality. They never bother where their customer throws used plates or glasses. Similarly, people buy plastic packed food, eat it while walking, standing or sitting anywhere, and leave empty packs anywhere. Youngsters litter on benches and in public parks. People litter during festival celebrations. They need to be monitored by the police to ensure that city remains clean.

OP Longia, Chandigarh

Turn kitchen waste into compost

Chandigarh is a City Beautiful. Its attractive features have drawn people from far-flung places. Every household should segregate garbage before giving it to MC workers. Kitchen waste could be turned into compost and used in flower pots.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Give incentive to residents

Climbing from 66th position to 12th is not a single man show. The Administration and the Municipal Corporation must thank all residents of City Beautiful by giving them incentive in the form of waiver of one month garbage collections charges. Also residents should be encouraged to make their own compost at their respective homes. The corporation should ensure cleaning of all gullies throughout the year. Trees must be pruned and horticulture waste should be lifted daily. Residents, who post pictures of dirty spots on social media, should be rewarded.

Savita Kuthiala, Chandigarh

Public places must be kept clean

It is the duty of the Administration to keep dustbins at proper distance on roads, at bus stands, railway stations and in parks. Public places must be cleaned every day. Public toilets should be maintained regularly. Plastic bags should not be used. Spitting on roads should be banned. Waste must be recycled and reused. People should dispose of garbage properly. Above all, the Administration should spread awareness to keep the city clean.

Anita K Tandon, Mundi Kharar

MC has to pull up its socks

Though, Chandigarh took a major leap in Swachh Survekshan race by getting the 12th rank, it got poorest marks in garbage-free city (GFC) component among the total four components of the survey. The civic body authority could not even secure 50 per cent in this particular category. The Municipal Corporation (MC) needs to pull up its socks and improve multiple works falling under this component. The MC must ensure 100 per cent processing of every kind of waste, proper and timely segregation and collection of garbage across the city. Moreover, the 100% waste segregation is also a major challenge for the authority. However, the mayor, commissioner, councillors, officials and residents of City Beautiful deserve congratulations for securing 12th position in the Swachh Survekshan.

Sanjay Chopra, Chandigarh

Civic body failed to improve sanitation

It seems Chandigarh known as City Beautiful was erroneously ranked second in 2016 Swachh Survekshan. The city’s population has increased there by exerting pressure on its resources. The MC has failed to improve sanitation and streamline waste collection from houses, roads and streets. People littering garbage must be penalised.

Kundan Lal Sharma, Mohali

Collective efforts will give results

Much more has to be done to regain city’s lost glory. The MC must give incentive to residents, who keep their surroundings clean. Supervisor should monitor work of safai karamcharis. Residents must cooperate with the Municipal Corporation. Only collective efforts will give good results.

Vidya Sagar Garg, Panchkula

Maintain public toilets

The MC must lift garbage regularly from across the city. Horticulture waste should be utilised to make manure. Residents should not throw garbage on roads. Public toilets must be maintained. People should not urinate at public places.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Poor sanitation led to dip in city’s rank

Certainly, along with clean parts there are also some littered areas in almost all sectors, which are crying for attention of the authorities concerned. These dirty areas have dipped city’s rank in Swachh Survekshan. The MC should form teams to identify such areas. The MC should focus on maintaining cleanliness throughout the city before next assessment.

Harsimran Kamboj, Chandigarh

Start awareness drive

The city did a commendable job in Swachh Survekshan. Garbage segregation at source should be streamlined. An awareness campaign to maintain cleanliness should be initiated. Maids and domestic workers should be given training for garbage segregation. The RWAs should keep a vigil at residences and garbage collection trucks.

Sunny Dhaliwal, Chandigarh

Convert wet waste into manure

Need of the hour is to streamline waste collections starting from houses up to the disposal point. We must segregate dry and wet waste at source. Dry waste should be recycled and wet waste converted in the organic manure. Lastly, we must follow reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.

Col TBS Bedi (retd), Mohali

Install More dustbins across the city

Garbage should be lifted and dry trees should be removed regularly. Beggars should be allowed near roundabouts. Roads should be maintained. Street lights should be functional. Dustbins should be installed at each and every spot. Special attention must be paid to maintain cleanliness at public places like bus stands, railway station, grain market and hospitals.

Sumesh Kumar Badhwar, Mohali

Give feedback on MC staff work

Residents must give their feedback on cleanliness and performance of MCC workforce. The MCC in turn should take remedial action on complaints/feedback received. Lifting of horticulture waste must be streamlined as the city has green cover.

Bharat Bhushan Sharma, Chandigarh

Rwas can maintain cleanliness in wards

Swachh Survekshan survey is a part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which aims to make India clean and free of open defecation. There is no check on animal defecation in the city. Cow dung and dog excreta can be seen on city roads. This calls for an immediate action by the civic authorities and RWAs to maintain cleanliness in wards. Punitive action needs to be taken against dog owners violating municipal norms.

RPS Chopra, Chandigarh

ZResidents responsible for cleanliness

Tremendous scope is there for improving the overall cleanliness in Chandigarh. Residents are also responsible for maintaining cleanliness in the city. Segregation of waste at source has to be streamlined. The maintenance of public places has also taken a hit due to paucity and inappropriate allocation of funds. Politicisation of the MC is also the reason behind dropping of city’s rank in the cleanliness survey. The MC should create awareness about cleanliness.

Dr Anil Kumar Yadav, Chandigarh

Self-discipline holds the key

People throw eatables on roads, use plastic bags and bottles, vandalise public property and party in public parks. Sanitation workers shun responsibility. Until people are taught self-discipline, Swatch Bharat Abhiyaan will not gain momentum. The MC should keep a check on cleanliness in all sectors. Population explosion is also one of the reasons for insanitary condition in the city. Challans must be issued to people, who throw garbage in the open.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

launch campaign to improve sanitation

Chandigarh, which has earned an endearing sobriquet of the City Beautiful for its clean and green environs, has gone from bad to worse in terms of maintaining cleanliness. More needs to be done to improve its annual ranking. It is no big deal for the city, which ranked second in 2016 survey, to regain the lost glory. Civil society has a role cut out to lead the march against those, who litter and make the city look dirty. NGOs can start campaign to spread awareness among residents to improve sanitation.

Ramesh K Dhiman, Chandigarh

Focus on waste processing

Though Chandigarh has improved in its Swachh Survekshan rankings this year, there is scope for improvement. The primary focus should be on improving waste processing. Legacy waste at Dadu Majra should be cleared. RWAs should conduct regular camps to collect dry waste and recycle it. Public toilets should be properly maintained and cleaned. The ban on single-use plastic should also be implemented properly.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh|

MC should not contract out work

Mechanised cleaning, along with bio-medical waste management, is not as effective as it should be. Public toilets should be maintained. Sewage has to be cleaned regularly in the ctiy. Awareness is the paramount need for changing behavioural pattern of communities. Above all, the entire work of the MC should be done by the Corporation itself instead of contractors.

SK Khosla, Chandigarh

Upgrade waste management plants

To regain and improve UT’s rank in Swachh Survekshan consolidated efforts of the Municipal Corporation and residents required. The MC should upgrade its waste management plants. All households can turn kitchen waste into compost, which can be used for plants. Resident welfare associations may be involved to educate public to adhere to sanitation. Combined efforts of residents and the MC can get the City Beautiful No. 1 rank in the cleanliness survey.

Sqn Ldr Manjit Johar (rtd), Chandigarh

QUESTION

The introduction of pick up and drop off facility at the Chandigarh Railway Station has reduced traffic snarl-ups caused by vehicles making long halts earlier. While there is a free six-minute window for non-commercial vehicles, visitors rue such a short time, given the high volume of passengers arriving and leaving the station. Is free six-minute window for picking up and dropping off passengers adequate or should it be increased?

Suggestions in not more than 70 words can be sent to openhouse@tribunemail.com