Ambala municipal corporation stakes claim for three-star ranking in Swachhta Survekshan

AMBALA: The Ambala Municipal Corporation (MC) in the final stage of the cleanliness survey has staked its claim for three-star ranking in Swachhta Survekshan for the present year, while on the other side, the ground situation of the cleanliness in the MC jurisdiction is very poor.


To achieve the three-star ranking claims would not be easy for the MC officials as the present situation of the sanitation in Ambala MC is filthy and the officials seem to be half prepared. After the ground check by the TOI reporter, it is witnessed that most of the MC areas are littered with the garbage and the non-biodegradable polyethylene bag filled with the garbage are scattered all around the dustbins.

After the application for the star ranking, the government’s agency Quality Control of India (QCI) would verify the claim this month only. On the basis of the report submitted by the QCI team, the ranking would be decided and this campaign is running under Swachh Survekshan 2019.

The MC sanitation workers have been protesting in Ambala seeking the release of salaries, on the other hand, the officials claim to keep a tap on absenteeism with the help of bio-metrical attendance through tablets which have been availed to the Sanitation Drogas and Inspectors.

Ambala MC is also claiming for ‘Open Defecation Free Plus’ status, presently it has the status of Open Defecation Free. A team would also come to inspect the community toilets in Ambala, while 99 per cent houses here already have the in-house toilets. The MC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sulabh to maintain 72 community, public and mobile toilets. The MC teams are also issuing challans to the persons defecating in open, this year nearly 130 challans have been issued and fine of Rs 42,000 has been collected. Sanitary napkins are also being provided to women at the public toilets.

MC joint commissioner Satinder Siwatch said, “Since the workers were protesting from past few days the sanitation work received some hit. From now onwards we have instructed the workers to streamline the garbage lifting.