Don’t sit in office, conduct field visits; zonal chiefs told

Ludhiana: Instead of sitting in cosy offices, zonal commissioners have been advised to move out in field for ensuring timely lifting of garbage from secondary dump sites, cleanliness of public toilets and source segregation of waste by households.
The directions were issued during a meeting organised by MC commissioner Shena Aggarwal with zonal commissioners and officials of the MC health branch under the banner of ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ at Zone D office in Sarabha Nagar.
The zonal commissioners were also directed to check the attendance of sweepers in their respective zones to ensure cleanliness. They were also directed to keep an eye on steps taken to ensure that segregated dry and wet garbage/waste is collected from every household in their respective zone. Recently purchased e-rickshaws should also be deployed for door-to-door lifting of garbage, wherever required.
The officials were also directed to ensure composting of horticulture waste in parks/green belts. Challans should be issued to the violators, if anyone is caught burning the waste.
Aggarwal said solid waste management was one of the focus areas of the civic body and efforts were being made to ensure compliance of solid waste management rules in the city. The zonal commissioners have also been directed to impose a penalty on the contractor, if there is any delay on his part pertaining to lifting of garbage from the secondary dump sites.
Also, they should ensure segregation of waste and cleanliness at public toilets in their respective zones.
Warnings have already been issued to the bulk generators of waste, including owners of marriage palaces, hotels, and schools. If they fail to comply with Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, the MC would soon commence a challan drive wherein penalties of upto Rs 5,000 per day could be imposed on the violators, she added.