Municipal Commissioner Mahendra Singh Tanwar, Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation, tells Ashok Nirwan about the major steps being adopted for the city’s development
It has been more than a month that you took charge of the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad. What have been your observations about the city so far?
Well, I will not call them flaws, rather areas, which need improvement, where work needs to be done. Over the course of time, I have seen that scope of work in many fields.
Where did you see it the most?
The biggest problem in Ghaziabad is garbage disposal, for which we have prepared a complete action plan for permanent solution. A plan is being prepared to set up 10 garbage factories in five of the municipal corporation’s zone cities — Kavi Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Mohan Nagar and Vasundhara areas. Here, five factories will be set up in the first phase in six months. These will be operated on PPP model. The Municipal Corporation will provide the waste to the respective firm that runs these factories. This firm will segregate wet and dry waste and make organic fertiliser and other products from it and sell it in the market. The factories will operate from the proceeds from it. The Municipal Corporation will neither take nor provide anything for this. The special thing is that 12,000 garbage pickers will also get Ranj Gar in these factories. Here, these units will have a state-of-the-art machine for garbage disposal. This entire project will be operated at a corporate level. In January 2021, the first factory will be commissioned and handed over to the city.
Do you have any plans to make the city beautiful?
Of course, the target has been set to make the city clean and green in mission allocation. Vending zones will also be set up. Digital hoardings will not be installed in the city anymore. The variance of stray animals will be stopped as well as action is being taken to get rid of the problem of monkeys and stray dogs in resident areas.
What is the action plan to protect the property of the Municipal Corporation from the land mafia?
After taking charge, I have inspected many places and made an action plan to save the assets of the corporation. With the removal of land from the possession of land mafia, the number of properties of the corporation which has been given on rent or lease is 1,200. Allottees who have sub-let these assets will be cancelled and all properties will be re-auctioned.
Also, the tax base will be increased so that the income of the municipal corporation can increase. The assets will be mailed to bring it into the tax net. As far as redeeming the land from land mafia is concerned, strict action will be taken against such people so that no one can muster the courage to commit such a crime again.