‘Swachhgrahis’ to make Sangam city cleaner
With an aim to improving its ranking in the list of clean cities of India, Allahabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) officials have launched several measures to tackle insanitation within the city limits. The municipal corporation has deployed ‘Swachhgrahis’ in all 80 municipal wards of the city. The move is based on the concept of ‘Satyagrahis’, who were committed to achieving independence from the British through relentless peaceful resistance to excesses meted out to them.
The ‘Swachhgrahis’ or volunteers are responsible for ensuring proper disposal of domestic refuse in their wards and making residents keep their surroundings clean.
SK Rathi, environmental engineer with the AMC, said the work was completely voluntary and no payment for the same was being made by the corporation.
“Each municipal ward has four such volunteers, comprising youths as well as elders. The volunteers have been provided t-shirts, identity cards and caps carrying the logo of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. The Swachhgrahis are entrusted with the task of monitoring proper disposal of domestic refuse in their wards and stopping residents from dumping solid waste outside their houses or at public places,” he said.
The corporation has also launched a customised mobile application titled ‘SwachApp’ available on Google playstore.
“It is a medium to receive complaints from city residents regarding insanitation and addressing the same in stipulated time frame. In April 2017, 235 complaints regarding insanitation were received through it and only six are pending,” Rathi said.
In April 2017, 235 complaints regarding insanitation were received through the ‘SwachApp’ and only six are pending SK RATHI, environmental engineer