The Greater Chennai Corporation is set to launch a campaign for people’s movement for clean city to improve waste management, improve public toilets and prevent open defecation. The State government recently framed guidelines and standard operating procedures for the special campaign for solid waste management through a people’s movement for clean cities.
Chennai is set to become the first city to launch the campaign for a garbage-free city, making it the truly Open Defecation Free (ODF). It is envisaged that this objective can be achieved mainly through large- scale citizen participation.
According to officials, all urban local bodies in the State have achieved the ODF status, of which 500 ULBs achieved ODF+ status owing to better public toilets. However, of late, it had been noticed that some ULBs had slipped from the ODF+ status. It was essential to sustain the effort and make the cities truly open defecation free. People’s Movement for Clean Cities has been proposed in the State to ensure involvement of every citizen towards garbage ODF+ cities.
The civic bodies would launch the campaign to sensitise people about solid waste management and make them aware of their responsibility in managing the waste. The campaign will focus on creating awareness among the citizens for segregation of waste at source, ensuring non- littering of public places.
As part of the preparatory activities in the city, the location for the special campaign on a designated day will be identified well in advance and wide publicity will be launched. The civic body will mobilise voluntary organisations, NGOs, resident welfare associations, NCC, NSS, NGC, Scouts and other volunteers from schools, colleges and various other associations such as trader’s associations and chamber of commerce. All urban local bodies, including the Corporation, had been asked to maintain a database and directory of volunteers who would be involved in this massive programme.
Specialised thematic activities on mass cleaning, mobile app, wall posters, construction debris, and onsite composting would be taken up on every second and fourth Saturdays. Meetings with stakeholder departments such as School Education, Higher Education, Housing and Urban Development, Public Health, Tourism, HR and CE, Highways, WRD, Industries and MSME would be launched shortly.
