Cleaning Up Cities with Clear Headed Plans

It’s been two months that the new government has taken the reigns in its hands. Their intentions seem noble, which is the welfare of the state and its people. Clean city and clean state is one of the important goals and the discussions on this topic are all over social media. One of the questions that occur to me is, ‘How will it be achieved?’ A systematic approach is essential. We can first take a good look at the way the garbage disposal system works in different parts of the civilized world and the way it has been suggested that we do too.

There are three types of waste: dry, wet and recyclable and the public needs to distinguish between each and throw them in designated containers which the government needs to provide. In order to implement this system, however, the residents need to be first informed about it and educated on it. The corporation sweepers and garbage collectors too would need to be educated on this. Otherwise they would put all kinds of waste in one bin even if the residents have put them in separate containers.

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This is the current practice, either due to lack of training or sheer laziness of the waste collector. The attitude towards work culture too needs to change.

GROUND RULES NEED TO BE SET. THESE INCLUDE:

� Training of the staff

� Putting systems in place

� The delegation of responsibilities in the corporation is very important

� Judicious handling of the assignment of responsibilities too is important

� Monitoring of the work

� Keeping records of successful implementation in order to learn from these in future discussion

� Suggestions should be taken from the public on how to improve further

� Areas should be constantly visited by the respective counsellors, MLAs or MPs and ministers

� Secondly the pavements need to be clear for the pedestrians. The Supreme Court of India has affirmed that the right to walk on properly maintained footpaths is a Fundamental Right under Articles 19(1)(d) and 21 of the Constitution. The pavements and many more open spaces have been encroached upon by hawkers since years and much more so in the last 15 years. If they have to be asked to leave then alternate arrangements need to be given so that their livelihood is not affected.

It needs a lot of planning and vision by the present government. The issue needs to be resolved with compassion and empathy. Helpline has been introduced for the common people to call and give ideas and suggestions in regards to any type of changes or assistance. This is a good beginning. I tried the number but it was engaged. I do hope that I can connect the next time around. There are problems of the hanging wires and cables too. They are everywhere, from overhead poles on the roads, to across buildings; to the cables of WiFi, dish or sky TV connections.

Clearing these is also a part of the cleaning up process. I suggest that volunteers get involved in the cleaning up drives. If some homemakers can be involved from each ward and take responsibility of their own areas for keeping them clean and if they could directly report to the municipal corporation, then work would become easier. We can all work together and help the government in this clean up drive.

(The writer is an educator, with years of experience in the coordination of public service systems in the United Kingdom)