UP takes up cleanliness measures ahead of local body polls, G20 events

The Uttar Pradesh government is taking a slew of steps to improve cleanliness and waste management in urban areas ahead of the urban local body polls as well as the Global Investors Summit and G20 events. Between September and November last year, a delegation including chief secretary of the state Durga Shankar Mishra was sent to Indore - ranked cleanest city in India six times in a row - to study its model of solid waste management with an aim to implement it across urban local bodies in UP. The team also visited Asia's largest bio-CNG plant in Indore, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February last year.

Now, the UP government has started a 'Swachh Dhaba' campaign for roadside eateries and restaurants in each of the 750 municipal bodies wherein the eateries will be identified and granted star ratings on the basis of cleanliness and hygiene observed, with a larger aim to also bring down consumption of single use plastic and encourage source segregation of waste. The exercise will be conducted between January and March and the eateries will be rated on whether or not they serve single-use plastic cutlery and plates, provide clean toilet facilities, properly handle waste around the eateries, and employ composting or compact biogas techniques and reuse waste. Swachh Bharat Mission (urban) director in UP, Neha Sharma, told ET that 'Swachh Virasat' campaign to clean up 75 heritage tourism sites across the state will also be conducted between January 14 and 24.