Swachh Bharat Mission Turns 5 - Capital Yet To Clean Up Its Act

As civic bodies & govt play blame game, Delhi remains choked with solid waste and stares at yet another smoggy winter

- Ankit Yadav

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, five years after it was announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort, has touched many parts of the country and many lives. However, the National Capital seems to have evaded the massive campaign.

A comprehensive analysis of data from all three civic bodies in Delhi exposes the callous civic sense of people and, of course, the agencies involved.

At a time when Delhi has slipped six notches down the world’s most liveable cities index this year (from 112 to 118), MAIL TODAY finds that 4.17 lakh challans (tickets) were issued in the last five years since the Swachh Bharat campaign kicked off, raising a cumulative fine amount of Rs 56.03 crore. The fines were mainly issued for littering, burning of waste, solid waste and dumping garbage in drains. Burning waste significantly adds to air pollution, causing respiratory illnesses.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has the primary responsibility of cleaning the Capital. Apart from this, one part lies with the New Delhi Municipal Council and another with the Delhi Cantonment Board.

Since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on October 2, 2014, the three MCDs — East MCD, North MCD, and South MCD — have been strict on violators. More than 2,33,000 challans have been issued against those who spit and defecate in the open. Half of these challans were issued by North MCD alone.

Sunita Kangra, Mayor of South MCD, says: “Normally, sanitary inspectors and other employees issue challans for the mess, but in some cases, magistrates penalize people who defecate on the road and collect fines from them.”