Daily field visits by Karnal MC officials improve discipline in sanitation staff
The initiative of the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) to deploy top officials in the field for an hour every morning is yielding positive results. This move, aimed at ensuring better sanitation and addressing public grievances, has brought regularity and discipline among sanitation staff -- a long-standing issue raised by the public.
On January 14, the KMC introduced the initiative, mandating daily field visits by officials, including the Commissioner, between 7 am and 8 am, except Sundays. The goal is to closely monitor cleanliness activities and improve Karnal’s ranking in the Swachh Survekshan survey.
Karnal city had experienced a significant decline in its ranking in the Swachh Survekshan-2023, dropping 30 points compared to Swachh Survekshan-2022. It got 115th rank among cities with a population above 1 lakh, whereas it ranked 85th in 2022 among 4,354 cities in the 1-10 lakh population category. Previously, Karnal ranked 86th in Swachh Survekshan 2021, 17th in 2020, 24th in 2019, 41st in 2018, and 65th in 2017.
As per the authorities, top officials of the KMC inspect the city daily to check different tasks such as sanitation activities, door-to-door garbage collection, toilet cleanliness, segregation of wet and dry waste, road sweeping by machines and attendance of sanitation workers at assigned beats. They also focus on information, education and communication (IEC) activities and monitor the presence of stray cattle on roads.
In the initial days, several lapses were detected. Some employees were absent without prior notice, resulting in strict action. “Show-cause notice has been issued to one supervisor and one day salary of seven ‘safarimitras’ has been deducted. This has instilled a sense of accountability among staff, leading to greater punctuality,” said Vaishali Sharma, Commissioner, KMC.
The Commissioner herself inspects the roads daily, observing improved punctuality among workers. “Sanitation workers are now consistent with regard to their duty, and public complaints about their absence have stopped,” she added.
She said that the visit had been kept for an hour in the morning to check punctuality of workers and in coming days, officials will remain in fields during afternoon also.
Local residents are also noticing the impact. “The sanitary staff has become regular. They now arrive early in the morning to sweep roads and lift garbage, making cleanliness visible across the area,” said Anuj Kumar, a local resident.
