Principal Secretary, Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Arvind Kumar has directed the GHMC officials to re-start the COVID-19 control room in the headquarters to share with citizens, the information related to the disease and the action against it.
During a review meeting on Monday with senior officials of the GHMC, Mr. Arvind Kumar has issued instructions for 24x7 functioning of the control room monitored by senior officials. A special nodal team should be established to address the needs of citizens with regard to COVID-19, and to give suggestions to them. He asked the zonal and deputy commissioners to take up inspections of government and private hospitals to ensure that the bio-waste being generated in large scale is being disposed of as per the rules. Face masks being thrown by the citizens on the roads too come under the definition of bio-waste, he observed, and asked officials to work in mission mode as they did last year in control of the first wave of COVID-19.
Taking serious note of the sanitation issues in the city, Mr. Arvind Kumar said officials will not be spared for their laxity in sanitation-related activities. In view of the upcoming monsoons, the roads should be kept free of garbage to prevent communicable diseases, he said.
Conveying Minister K.T. Rama Rao’s instructions, the Principal Secretary asked the Engineering, Health and Sanitation staff of every circle to share the responsibilities of the garbage clearance. He asked the Deputy Commissioners and AMHOs of each circle to conduct field inspections before 6 a.m. daily, and monitor the sanitation activities. Severe action will be initiated against officials who do not fall in line, he warned. He also asked officials to penalise the “irresponsible” citizens who throw garbage on the roads despite several warnings.
