Waste trucks deployed by municipalities nationwide to collect garbage would soon be tracked and monitored by the Centre, the Ministry of Urban Development announced on Tuesday.
In partnership with Delhi Integrated Multi Modal Transit System Limited (DIMTS), the ministry is building Information and Communication Technology Platform (ICTP) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flagship Swachh Bharat Mission. ICTP will enable the Centre to monitor fleet status by GPS-based vehicle-tracking system.
“ICTP will offer Management Information System for waste collection and transportation, notify urban local bodies about vehicle breakdown and maintenance, and hence bring about a higher level of transparency in civic administration,” said Joint Secretary at the ministry, Praveen Prakash, who’s also heading the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Online applicationIn addition to that, the ministry is also working with BSNL and MTNL to develop an online application that will help it maintain a tab on daily reporting, monitoring and control of individual municipalities and also on-ground workers.
“We want to enrol different technological partners under the Swachh Bharat Mission for them to individually innovate towards making ground-level processes that are simpler and technologically driven,”said Mr. Prakash.
“Agreements like the one signed with DIMTS will help the ministry to connect the Centre with the vast network of municipalities across the country, and further monitor the work undertaken by them,” he said.
Solid waste management has been one of the most crucial aspects of Swachh Bharat Mission, with a budget outlay of Rs. 37,000 crore. The mission aims to establish technology-driven waste management systems by 2019 in 4,041 cities and towns.
