NEW DELHI: Anticipating large crowds during the Christmas and New Year celebrations, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) outlined a comprehensive plan for thorough wet cleaning and landscaping activities across its markets, nearby roundabouts, and avenue roads from December 21 to January 3.
The council circulated a directive on Dec 20 specifying areas and markets to be addressed on different days. “A special cleanliness drive for the next 10 days will be undertaken in main markets and surrounding areas to ensure deep cleanliness, footpath cleaning, cleaning of avenue roads, removal of construction and demolition waste, maintaining green belts, and removal of encroachment in markets of NDMC areas. All departments have to work in tandem for effective cleanliness levels in markets and nearby roundabouts as per the schedules. Adequate machinery in the form of dedicated MRS, pressure jetting machines, battery-operated litter picker machines, garbage vehicles, etc., will be engaged for effective results,” stated the office order issued on Friday.
The initiative commenced on Saturday with intensive cleaning of walkways, public spaces, and landscaped areas in CP inner circle. At the special drive at CP, teams from public health, horticulture, and civil engineering departments (road division & swachhta division team) participated.
“Action taken up included deep cleaning of corridors of A to F block of Connaught Place using pressure jet machines, horticultural activities like cleaning, trimming of hedges, picking, removal of unwanted sprouts, and watering of trees in green areas. The civil department coordinated in removing malba, and the public health department cleaned litter bins in all blocks. Mechanical road sweepers were deployed for wet cleaning of main roads, while cleaning of the subway near G-Block was done through an outsourced agency,” stated the council.
Only treated water from STP is used for the purpose.
The operation will continue at Janpath and Shankar Market on December 23, followed by Pandara, Prithivi Raj Market, and Khan Market on December 24. Sarojini Nagar will be taken up on December 26, Begum Zaidi and Barsrurkar Markets on December 28.
The special drive will also cover Yusuf Sarai, Gole Market, Narouji Nagar Khanna Market, Jor Bagh, and conclude on January 3 with Bengali Market and Refugee Market.
The council officials have indicated their intention to implement regular wet cleaning services in select markets, though they acknowledge the full project rollout will require additional time.
“We have already started night cleaning in Khan Market and will take up Sarojini Market soon. But this special drive, wherein all departments are involved, is taken up to celebrate good governance and the upcoming New Year. Teams from all departments, such as horticulture, are also planting new saplings and removing dry leaves and malba to beautify the area,” said NDMC vice chairman Kuljeet Chahal.
