The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) has launched a mass cleaning drive in all wards of the city with support from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).
The civic body has appealed to RWAs to avoid dumping of waste in public spaces. The civic body used to conduct mass cleaning drives on the second and fourth Saturdays of every month in 200 locations, including parks, schools, playgrounds, and burial grounds.
As part of improving public health, the civic body has asked RWAs and NGOs to cooperate with the mass cleaning drives in all the 200 wards on all days. “The initiative will be taken at the ward level,” an official said.
On Thursday, mass cleaning drives were organised with the deployment of GCC and Urbaser Sumeet employees. Piles of garbage were removed from the public ground at Marudam Colony in Adyar. Residents were also asked to cooperate in house-to-house collection and segregation of garbage.
Raising awareness
GCC officials have also started raising awareness on avoiding throwing hazardous material, such as tube lights and bottles, in public spaces, advising residents to utilise dustbins.
N. Madhan Kumar, a lawyer and resident of Otteri, who is campaigning against improper dumping of waste in his residential area of S.S. Puram, said residents had been demanding utilisation of the dumping space for the construction of a modern playground to help poor students get quality sports coaching.
Civic body officials have sensitised residents about cooperating with NGOs for mass cleaning in their neighbourhoods. The GCC has also taken efforts to ensure pruning of trees and garden waste removal in coordination with GCC and Urbaser Sumeet employees.
“Let us all join together to make the city cleaner and cooperate in the efforts of the GCC and numerous NGOs working for this cause,” an official said. RWAs have been asked to support the 19,158 personnel entrusted with keeping the 426-sq.km GCC clean.
Officials stressed the need for involving residents and traders in mass cleaning drives across the city. They have started creating awareness among bulk waste generators, such as offices, markets, and institutions, to support the mass cleaning drive.
