A year later, drives and some photo ops

Cleanliness drives were organised and new toilet complexes inaugurated on Friday as Delhi marked the first anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Officials were out on the streets painting a picture similar like last October when everyone, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had brooms in their hands.

The New Delhi Municipal Council launched a fortnight-long cleanliness drive on Gandhi Jayanti with Connaught Place being swept and painted.

Union Urban Development Secretary Madhusudan Prasad and NDMC chairperson Naresh Kumar were among those who picked up brooms as part of the drive that started off with the removal of malba and dry leaves from parks and streets, painting pillars at Connaught Place and rallies by NDMC school students to raise awareness.

“We have tried to ensure that

swachhta is not just a symbolic drive, but things improve on the ground. We have also procured infrastructure to maintain cleanliness in our areas,” said the NDMC chairperson.

In south Delhi, the first toilet complex constructed based on the PPP model was inaugurated by Cabinet Secretary P.K. Sinha. The South Delhi Municipal Corporation on Friday took over possession of the complex near Hyatt hotel from the National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC).

The eco-friendly ‘swachh toilet’ is based on the ‘Namma toilets’ of Tamil Nadu, said SDMC Mayor Subhash Arya. The toilet, built at a cost of Rs.14 lakh, is equipped with solar lights, weather-proof structure, and separate units for differently-abled users, women and men. A total of 94 new toilet complexes are under construction in south Delhi, with the NBCC and IGL building 10 and 14 of these, respectively.

The Metro, which is considered one of the cleaner aspects of the city, also ringed in the first anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan with a cleanliness drive at all stations, surroundings and installations.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) staff and stakeholders like CISF security personnel, housekeeping agencies and parking contractors participated in the drive that started off with a ‘cleanliness pledge’ at 9 a.m. Commuters too joined in.

The Northern Railway stepped up its sanitation services by observing a shramdaan at its over 1,000 stations in the region, while volunteers of Sant Nirankari Mission carried out a cleanliness drive at New Delhi, Delhi Main and Hazrat Nizamuddin stations.

“Drawing up elaborate plans during the course of the entire year, the Indian Railways had earmarked special fortnights for intensive campaigns,” a spokesperson said.

The Railways will set up booths for sanitation-related complaints, walkathons for awareness, hoardings and public announcements to create awareness.

Meanwhile, as officials posed for photos with brooms, safai karamcharis are getting ready to launch an agitation for timely payment of salaries, regularisation of temporary jobs and cashless medial insurance.

The municipal sanitation workers were supposed to go on strike from Friday, but have decided to postpone it till next week.

We have tried to ensure that swachhta

is not just a symbolic drive, but things improve on the ground