Intensified clean-up drive in Navi Mumbai amid central team's visit sparks resident discontent

NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) officials are on their toes as the central team arrived in the city for cleanliness evaluation under the Swachh Survekshan-2024, which is underway.
The civic body is leaving no stone unturned to ace the nationwide cleanliness ranking as the city is picked in the super league category to compete against Surat and Indore this year. However, there are many areas, especially in the slums and gaothans, where cleanliness has been a challenge. Toilets are being repaired, and anti-nuisance squads have been deployed to prevent the dumping of debris and garbage along roadsides and open spaces besides footpaths. Every ward has two possible visiting places—slum and node—where additional efforts are being made to show the city clean.
The NMMC chief, along with his subordinates, plans to tour various nodes, slums, and gaothan areas to ensure that the cleanliness drive is carried out effectively to improve the all-India ranking from the existing 3rd rank to the number one place, which is the popular slogan this year. According to an official, more central teams are expected in the coming days. “They visit the city without prior intimation of the areas they cover. However, we have to be ready with all preparations,” said an official. However, residents are not happy with the so-called cleanliness drive since many areas have been left dirty, said Sanjay Kharayat, an Airoli resident.
In an all-out effort, the NMMC has put into service an additional workforce to augment its manpower for cleaning commercial and residential areas. Over 700 toilets have been made accessible, with utmost care being taken for cleanliness. NMMC claims that it is the first city in the state to have the highest garbage segregation of wet and dry at the source and reduced the daily collection as well. “Once the central teams visit the city, NMMC puts the drive on the backburner for the rest of the year, as has been the case every year,” said Vashi resident Bhavna Bhatia.
NMMC has expedited the cleaning drive amid the ongoing Swachh survey being conducted by the central team from Delhi. Officials have been instructed to crack the whip on the use of banned plastic and the removal of illegal banners and hoardings, besides abandoned vehicles haphazardly parked on the roadsides. NMMC Commissioner Kailas Shinde has ordered his men to deploy personnel to ensure that every nook and corner of the city is cleaned. The central team may visit various pockets of the city while especially targeting the slum pockets and village areas.