The BMC has launched a ‘Garbage-Free Hours’ initiative from 11 am to 1 pm, Monday to Friday, for the next two weeks. The drive targets high-footfall areas such as railway station surroundings, religious places, marketplaces, commercial areas, and tourist spots. The Solid Waste Management (SWM) department, along with celebrities, NGOs, NSS volunteers, RWAs, ALMs, and housing society representatives, will actively participate in the effort to promote cleanliness across the city.
To make the city dust-free, the civic body has already begun cleaning and washing roads across the city. As part of this massive drive, designated areas will be swept and brushed, and roads, footpaths, and walls will be washed using firex or water tankers. Action will be taken against illegal parking on roads and footpaths to ensure there are no obstructions during the “Garbage Free Hours.” A separate vehicle has been assigned to collect odd articles from designated areas. The collected items will be stored in one place and disposed of appropriately.
The BMC has initiated the program, deploying Clean Up Marshalls to penalise citizens violating cleanliness norms during a designated two-hour period. The program will feature street plays, flash mobs, powadas, and other folk artists to raise awareness about cleanliness and responsible civic habits. During this time, accumulated garbage, debris, and litter will be cleared, with before-and-after photographs taken to highlight the efforts.
Additionally, the program will focus on cleaning internal lanes and by-lanes in densely populated areas such as chawls and slums. Each ward will keep a detailed record of the manpower involved, extra machinery deployed, the amount of garbage and debris removed, and the number of roads marked with cleanliness signage.
