For better swacch rank, Ambala MC deploys 300 foot soldiers

Nitish Sharma

Tribune News Service

Ambala, December 10

To secure a place for Ambala in the top 100 cleanest cities of the country in the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2019, the Municipal Corporation will deploy 300 Saksham Yuvas in the city and Sadar zone this week.

The Saksham Yuvas will educate residents about waste management under the IEC (Information Education and Communication) campaign, and also teach them how to reuse, reduce and recycle the waste.

Ambala generates more than 300 tonnes of waste in a day.

The city was ranked 159th in the last Swacch Survekshan, while it had fared poorly in the 2017 survey as it was ranked 308 among 434 cities.

Satinder Siwatch, MC Commissioner, said: “Ambala has improved its ranking, but there is still a long way to go. About 300 Saksham Yuvas will visit every ward (there are 20 in all) and make residents aware of the waste management.

“Besides, a campaign has been launched to deal with green waste and kitchen waste. Under the campaign, the bulk generators of waste (hotel and restaurant owners) and households are being motivated to generate compost from the waste. The people are being taught the method to do it,” he said.

Saksham Yuvas will also check the attendance of sanitation workers in the wards and ensure timely collection of waste.

The survey questionnaire will carry 5,000 marks. The survey will be conducted next month.

The Commissioner said, “Our aim is to bring Ambala in the top 100 cities in 2019 and the corporation will make every effort to get the maximum marks. An Android-based swacchta application has been developed and its trial has been started. The MC will monitor the waste collection from around 1.25 lakh households in the city and and ensure that the segregated waste is delivered to ward-level collection centres.”

Saksham Yuvas

• 300 Saksham Yuvas deployed in Ambala city and Sadar zone
• They will educate residents about waste management, teach them how to reuse, reduce and recycle waste
• Ambala generates more than 300 tonnes of waste in a day
• 159th rank in Swacch Survekshan 2018
• 308th rank in Swacch Survekshan 2017