UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore (in grey jacket), Mayor Davesh Moudgil (in black jacket) and others pick up waste during Swachhata Hi Seva campaign at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh on Saturday. (Express photo by Sahil Walia) UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore (in grey jacket), Mayor Davesh Moudgil (in black jacket) and others pick up waste during Swachhata Hi Seva campaign at Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh on Saturday. (Express photo by Sahil Walia) UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore kicked off an 18-day Swachhata Hi Seva drive from Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh on Saturday. A “plogging” activity (combination of jogging and picking up litter) was organised in the presence of Mayor Davesh Moudgil, MC Commissioner K K Yadav, councillors and MC officials. The Administrator also flagged off a rally carrying all the information about the Swachhata Hi Seva Movement along with placards and pamphlets. The Administrator appealed to the residents to clean their surroundings and post photographs of it. He said this 18-day campaign will end on October 2, which apart from being Gandhi Jayanti also happened to be the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Badnore also requested the residents to ensure that the programme was effective and not just “symbolic”. He said awareness in terms of instructions, demonstrations and drives need to be provided to certify that these means become part of a nationwide mind at home and outside. Adequate individual and ecological cleanliness have a key impact on the goodwill of every city, added Badnore. Moudgil said, “Every citizen of Chandigarh is dedicated to influencing a nationwide change and all our internal stakeholders are firm in achieving the objective that we have set to make Chandigarh City Beautiful and our country clean.” He added, “This is our city and as a resident, the least we can do is to take care of it in our own individual ways. We are very firm in achieving our strong attempt to encourage the cause and we promise to succeed in this action of making the city aware about the behavioural change towards cleanliness.” Several NGOs and organisations also took part in the programme. Yadav said an intensive cleanliness drive will be launched during this 18-day programme, including cleaning of road gullies, waterbodies, parks, road berms, slums, colonies and villages. Swachh Ward Campaign MC launched the Swachh Ward Campaign in wards 13, 15 and 17 under Chandigarh Banega Swachhata Me No. 1 during the day. The mayor was the chief guest and commissioner guest of honour at all the programmes held at Sector 21 (ward 17), Sector 44 (ward 15) and Sector 49 (ward 13). The events were held in the presence of councillors Asha Jaswal (ward 17), Ravinder Kaur Gujral (ward 15) and Heera Negi (ward 13). City BJP chief Sanjay Tandon was also present at Sector 21. Moudgil said the Swachh Ward Campaign was aimed at achieving the goals of cleanliness and 100 per cent solid waste management throughout Chandigarh. “If we want to see our households, surroundings, parks, institutions, workplaces and market places Swachh, we will have to develop a habit to follow the scientific methods of solid waste management and generate less garbage from our households in a segregated form so that this can be collected and processed scientifically,” he added. Also, expressing concern over the use of plastic bags, bottles and one-time usable/disposal material, Moudgil said people have to develop a habit of not using items made of plastic to save the environment along with proper segregation of dry and wet waste at source. The Commissioner made brief presentations to the stakeholders, including office-bearers of resident welfare associations, market welfare associations, senior citizens forum, other institutions, social organisations/NGOs, religious organisations, as well as members of sports and youth clubs, etc. in all three wards. For all the latest Chandigarh News, download Indian Express App

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