Rohtak MC gears up to improve Swachh Survekshan rank

Having lost the title of Haryana’s cleanest city last year, the Rohtak Municipal Corporation (MC) is pulling out all the stops to improve its performance in the upcoming Swachh Survekshan 2025–26, with a focus on enhancing city cleanliness and boosting public awareness.

As part of the initiative, MC officials received detailed training on the new survey toolkit issued by the Centre, which highlights critical areas requiring immediate attention for improving the city’s ranking. The session was attended by executive engineers, assistant engineers and senior sanitation inspectors of the MC, who were briefed on targeted actions and strategic planning.

An MC official said in the previous year’s survey, Rohtak slipped to fifth place in the state rankings, despite making a significant leap nationally, climbing from 109th to 25th place. The MC is now determined to address shortcomings and consolidate its position in both state and national cleanliness rankings.

“At that time, the MC scored in several areas—100 per cent for cleanliness of market areas and water bodies, 96 per cent in door-to-door waste collection, 95 per cent in residential area cleanliness, and 93 per cent in remediation of dumpsites. However, performance lagged in certain categories, with 80 per cent in public toilet cleanliness, 75 per cent in waste generation versus processing, and only 58 per cent in source segregation but this time, the authorities are focussing upon all areas,” said the official.

Dr Anand Kumar Sharma, Commissioner, MC, emphasised the need for a well-planned approach in all sanitation activities and directed officials to strictly enforce cleanliness measures across the city, including issuing fines to those who litter.

“The new toolkit training helps the sanitation department identify areas of weakness and prioritise actions. Every task must follow a planned approach. Our teams are working diligently under this plan, while also raising public awareness to encourage citizen participation in keeping the city clean,” he added.

Special attention was drawn to bulk waste generators (BWGs) such as hotels, hospitals, banquet halls, restaurants, schools, colleges, and other large institutions. Officials were instructed to issue notices or fines to BWGs that failed to manage their waste responsibly, either by self-disposal or through third-party agencies. Sharma stressed that BWGs must also place large dustbins outside their premises to prevent littering and maintain cleanliness.

“If a BWG is unable to manage waste independently, it must enter into a formal agreement with the MC for collection, transport, and scientific disposal. Using the corporation’s services without such agreement will be considered a violation,” Sharma clarified, warning that non-compliant BWGs will be penalised.

The Commissioner highlighted that the overall objective was to strengthen the city’s sanitation system, promote environmental protection, and provide citizens with a clean and healthy environment. “BWGs are urged to fully comply with regulations and actively support municipal cleanliness initiatives to help Rohtak achieve a higher ranking in Swachh Survekshan,” he added.