Gurgaon: The city’s mayor Raj Rani Malhotra on Friday directed MCG officials, councillors, sanitation agencies and workers to ensure the city is cleaned before Diwali, with special drives to be conducted across all areas.The directions were issued during a review meeting chaired by the mayor. She asked councillors, officials and agencies to regularly monitor their respective areas and address any shortcomings in sanitation work. She also directed officials to ensure that sanitation workers are paid on a designated date every month.Sanitation agencies have been asked to ensure that the manpower and resources specified in their contracts are available. Malhotra said agencies that fail to meet contractual requirements or are negligent in carrying out their duties would face action, including blacklisting.“We need better coordination among MCG officials, councillors, sanitation agencies and field teams to improve sanitation services. Problems arising at the field level should be addressed immediately and regular monitoring of sanitation work should be ensured,” she said. “Special efforts should be made to clean and organise all major areas, markets, roads and public places across the city before Diwali,” she added.Earlier on Friday, Malhotra participated in a plantation and cleanliness drive at the community centre in Sector 56.The directions came two days after Malhotra inspected sanitation and waste-management arrangements on New Railway Road, Old Railway Road and in Bhim Nagar. During the inspection, she assessed the sanitation situation and directed officials to ensure regular waste collection and improve overall cleanliness.Malhotra said public participation was essential to keeping the city clean. She appealed to residents not to dump garbage on roads and to use the designated waste-disposal system. Officials accompanying her urged residents to segregate wet and dry waste, avoid littering in public places and cooperate with MCG in maintaining cleanliness.The civic body’s focus on restoring sanitation comes after a 37-day strike by sanitation workers disrupted the sanitation system across the city. The prolonged stoppage of waste collection led to its accumulation in residential areas, markets and public spaces and added pressure on MCG’s already strained waste-management system, residents said.Although sanitation operations have resumed, waste accumulation and littering remain visible at several locations. The civic body is now seeking to ensure regular waste collection and improve cleanliness ahead of Diwali.
