With the initiative of Urban Development and Housing Minister Maya Singh, a massive cleaning operation of the stalls and ground on the Gwalior Trade Fair premises began here at 7 am.
Maya Singh reached the mela ground in connection with the inauguration of Solid Waste Management centre. While going around the mela ground she found garbage and filth at the site and expressed annoyance.
Picking up a broom, she began to clean the area, Collector, Rahul Jain, Mayor Vivek Shewalkar and the other officials who were with the minister too took off their woolen clothes and joined the drive.
After some time, Municipal Commissioner Vinod Sharma reached the spot with about two dozen sanitary workers of the corporation.
Three 3D machines were engaged to remove the sullied mud and to cut the over grown grass.
Cutting machines too were pressed into action, and the garbage was removed using trolleys. Around 50 trolleys of garbage was collected and shifted to the waste management centre.
The cleaning operation that began around 7 am was completed in the afternoon. Apart from the minister, mayor, collector, Municipal Commissioner, staff of the corporation, the staff of the Gwalior Trade Fair Authority too took part in the programme. The staff of the Gwalior Trade Fair Authority said that cleaning operation of this level had never been undertaken in the past 100 years.
The toilets and urinals that are in the premises could not be cleaned as they were locked.
The minister expressed displeasure at the filth that was accumulated in the open urinals, and instructed the Authority staff to clean them.
She also instructed the officials to get rid of those toilets and urinals that are unfit for use.
A seminar was held in the Mela premises to create awareness about sanitation.
The speakers at the seminar urged everyone to put in their best efforts to make Gwalior the No 1 Clean city by 2018.