BJP wants a good sweep but no one is scrubbing MCD’s image

In the absence of an elected government in the city, the municipal corporations are the lower-most governing body.

With a BJP government at the Centre and the chant of acche din, the councillors and mayors hoped to maximise these to their benefit. The period of limelight arrived when PM Narendra Modi announced the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in his maiden Independence Day address.

Twenty days since the launch of the campaign, residents of the national capital believe that very little has changed in the city and the “image” of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi continues to be in squalor.

“The campaign only underlines the top-down approach prevalent in our country. That until the Prime Minister says something, we can’t get bodies like the MCD to perform their basic functions efficiently,” young social worker Pallavi Mehra said.

She said that no matter how much growth the people of the country aspire for, basic hygiene and sanitation “are likely to remain issues of concern in the long term”.

Hoping that the positive action will soon follow the PR involved in promoting Swachh Bharat, student Ashish Garg said, “I hope that the abhiyan will not end in rhetoric. I do not see any change in the state of the city and that was something I was really looking forward to.”

The ruling BJP is making claims of how “Modiji’s abhiyan” has helped the people of Delhi view the corporations from a fresh perspective.

Upadhyay said, “The shift in attitude towards the BJP has changed both internally and externally. While the workers are becoming more accountable, the people of Delhi are also beginning to see this change.”

Admitting that the corporation’s image as a “corrupt body” is hard to fight, North Delhi mayor Yogendra Chandolia noted that the campaign is “definitely helping change that.”

However, the opposition is not so kind. “Instead of an image makeover that they were hoping from the Swachh Bharat, the campaign has only exposed them further,” Farhad Suri, leader of the opposition in the South Corporation, said. He also pointed out the recent suspensions owing to negligence of duty by sanitation workers and questioned the need for a campaign to change things around.

Pushing man and machinery to make the abhiyan a success, the daily collection of garbage in the city has increased by 25 per cent on average. Since the announcement of the drive, the three municipal corporations have collected and disposed over 4 lakh metric tonnes of garbage.

Delhi Jal Board plans sewage system in 100 illegal colonies

NEW DELHI: As part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the beginning of October, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Wednesday announced that it would build a sewarage system for over 100 unauthorised colonies this year.

So far, the DJB has covered nearly 37 unauthorised colonies. “As opposed to the target of 95 colonies last year, this year, the DJB plans to commission sewerage system in more than 100 unauthorised colonies by the end of the financial year 2013-14,” a statement released by the water utility said.

According to DJB, sewerage work in around 162 colonies was being carried out while work at 142 others is expected to begin soon. Almost a month ago, the DJB had drafted the Sewage Master Plan-2031 and invited suggestions on the plan.

For the plan, the DJB engaged international consultants for an in-depth and exhaustive door-to-door survey of all areas with or without a sewer system.

Claiming that the plan to cover unauthorised colonies is also being done to cut pollution in the Yamuna, the statement said, “As a result of the efforts to streamline the sewerage system in the city, this year the Delhi Jal Board has been able to increase the amount of sewage treated from 340 MGD to 380 MGD. With the laying of sewer systems, DJB aims to reduce pollution in the Yamuna.”ENS