The civic bodies here have started tightening belts after the Steel City was ranked 66th in the recently conducted nationwide survey ‘Swachh Survekshan 2016’.
Concerned over the situation, Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), Mango Notified Area Committee and Jugsalai municipality have started making plans to improve the rankings. Plans are also being made to start charging penalty over littering.
Special commissioner (solid waste management) of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike – BBMP (Greater Bangalore Metropolitan Corporation), Subodh Yadav today interacted with local urban bodies officials including Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), Mango notified area committee and Jugsalai municipality. He suggested that if situation arrives the civic body must start taking fine from the local people.
The Bangalore Metropolitan Corporation senior official, who is on a day’s visit to Jamshedpur to understand the best practices of solid waste management carried out by Tata Steel subsidiary Jusco, asked the urban bodies officials to first spread awareness amongst people about importance of keeping not only their house but also their surroundings clean.
Subodh Yadav said that rather than imposing penalty the residents and institutions should be made aware of the benefits of keeping clean their houses and surroundings through different mediums like interactive events, plays and banners. If these mediums fail to evince the desired result then there is no other option but to charge penalty. The penalties range from `100 for household and `500 for institution for first time offence. The fine can go up to Rs 1 lakh. A strict mechanism was also the need of the hour in the city.
Meanwhile an official of Jugsalai Municipality on the condition of anonymity said that lack of adequate manpower and infrastructure are posing hurdle. “In most of the localities, there are temples. After mass feast leftover food are dumped in public place. It has become a regular affair. With limited workers’ strength, we are not able to pay attention to every corner,” he noted.
“Sanitation workers are found not doing bush cutting, de-silting of drains and lifting of garbage regularly. If they are herded to one place under close supervision of top officials, a visible change can take place,” said a businessman.