LMC to appoint 5 ‘swacchagrahis’ to check ODF
LUCKNOW :In an effort to stop open defecation in the state capital, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) has decided to appoint five swacchagrahis (sanitation workers) to monitor selected 114 places here. These 114 spots have been identified by Lucknow Municipal Corporation where people are still defeating in the open despite having the facilities of toilets nearby, said additional municipal commissioner Anil Mishra.
These five sanitation workers would stop those defecating in the open and also motivate them to use public toilets while explaining them about the hazards of open defecation. Municipal commissioner Indramani Tripathi said, “These swacchagrahis will create awareness among the masses with the help of area corporator about the ODF and our staff would monitor all the areas since early morning to stop people from defecating in the open.”
Meanwhile, the municipal commissioner has issued show cause notice to all the eight zonal officers for slow progress in ODF work. He has directed them to complete all the formalities for ODF before September 15.
“I will not tolerate any sort of leniency in ODF work. All the non-performers would be punished. The LMC will achieve the ODF target before September 30,” said the municipal commissioner. Besides, city environment engineer Pankaj Bhushan has been discharged of the task of making the city ODF. He has been given adverse entry by the municipal commissioner for poor progress in ODF work. Now the charge has been handed over to additional director animal welfare Dr Arvind Rao.
Commenting over the steps being taken by LMC for making the city open defecation free, the leader of opposition in LMC house Sayyed Yawar Hussain Reshu said, “LMC has all of a sudden woken up from the slumber because the state capital has to be declared open defecation free (ODF) city before October 2.” He said, “There are several areas in the Old City where people don’t have toilets in their houses. Construction
of public toilets in every such colony where the houses don’t have any scope of constructing toilets is very important. Poor people cannot afford to pay every time for use of toilets, so state government will have to come out with some solution to keep the city clean.”