Karnal Admn gears up to boost ranking

Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 24

After a poor showin the Swachh Survekshan-2021 ranking, the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) has geared up to improve its ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2022.

It has not only focused on citizen engagement programmes for the 100 per cent disposal of garbage, an important parameter for awarding rankings, but also started involving various stakeholders – hotels, dhabas, market associations, hospitals schools, various resident welfare associations, government offices and market associations. Competitions among these stakeholders will be conducted on various parameters, including condition of the building, toilets, segregation of dry and wet waste, compost pit, ban on single-use plastic, converting wet waste into composting, and zero waste. Drawing and wall painting competitions will also be organised.

In 2021 ranking, Karnal has slipped to 86th place from 17th in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 in the 1-10 lakh population category. Shortage of sanitary workers, and resources after the abolishing of contractual system are the reasons behind the fall in ranking, said an official of the KMC.

“No doubt, our ranking dipped in the last Swachh Survekshan, but now, we are focusing on the next survey to be held in the first quarter of 2022,” said said Dheeraj Kumar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DMC), KMC.

A rapid task force has been constituted to address the complaints filed by residents on the Swachh Haryana App regarding sanitation, garbage lifting from open area, door to door collection, sweeping and toilets. The employees will ensure the addressing of the issue in the prescribed time,” Kumar maintained.

Apart from it, wards of the city are being developed as self-reliant. In the first phase, ward 9 is being developed as self-reliant by ensuring segregation of waste at the source, disposal of waste, door to door collection, compost pits for complete disposal of wet waste. “Information, education and communication (IEC), will help us in achieving the target,” he said.

The KMC has also focused on water status along with continuting ODF status. “We will ensure the status of water , for which all toilets have been made functional along with complete treatment of sewerage water,” he said, adding that to address the menance of construction and demolition waste, they have started a toll free number and the KMC is extending free of cost service for lifting it.

People are being made aware that they should not use single waste plastic for which resident welfare associations, NGOs, traders and associations have been roped in, he added.