If you could change one important thing about Delhi, what would it be? Why?

If you could change one important thing about Delhi, what would it be? Why?

Delhi, the capital city of India is a very large city with rich & powerful people but its is also home to complex problems like car-parking, water-logging, bad sanitation, lack of proper garbage collection system, sewage, traffic indiscipline, and expansion of commercial activities in residential areas. A common concern of residents has been the relentless pressure on existing infrastructure of a fast growing population.

Of all the above issues, if there is one important thing if I could solve and change Delhi for the better then it would be definitely be sanitation and a good garbage collection/disposal system to ensure cleanliness. In a big city with millions of people the garbage and waste materials generated from residential areas, hotels, street side vendors, construction sites, hospitals etc is enormous. The regular disposal of tons of these waste materials is a big challenge for local corporations.

However, it is observed that scant regard is given to this aspect of cleaning the city regularly and treating the garbage, sewage in a scientific and systematic manner. The local administration uses outdated ways to collect and dispose garbage. The burning of garbage in and around the city results in air pollution and severe cough, throat and lung diseases among close neighborhoods. Syringes and other medical wastage, chemical wastage from industries, dumps from construction sites is hazardous to humans/animals if not disposed correctly. A major river like the Yamuna is becoming polluted due to discharge of chemical wastes and sewage on a daily basis.

I would ensure that new methods of garbage collection and disposal are employed and modern technology is used to treat sewage in all parts of the city. Staff will be trained properly in identifying wet and dry garbage, spraying of chemicals to check breeding of mosquitoes. Area-wise responsibility will be fixed & Supervisors would be held accountable for any pending cleanliness/sanitation jobs in their respective city areas.

Any new change or new methods, trainings, chemicals purchases to treat sewage would require funds and I would make systemic demands for increase in budgetary allocation under heads of ‘Sanitation’ in the annual corporation budgets. Similarly a public campaign to keep the city clean will be launched to involve all people in this mission to ensure it is a success. Token rewards to ‘clean’ residential colonies can be introduced to encourage people in this effort.

Residents of posh areas like Safdurjung Enclave often complain that many owners encroach on the drains for creating parking spaces, thus covering them and blocking the passage of water. This aggravates the problem of water-logging especially during monsoons. The stagnant water also breeds mosquitoes endangering the health of people living there. I would take special effort to sensitize all the citizens of the health problems arising due to diseases like malaria, gastro which can be tackled effectively by keeping surroundings clean and cooperating with the sanitation staff.

A clean and sanitized city is also a healthy and wonderful city to live, work and enjoy at the same time. I honestly feel that citizens efforts coupled with the local administration’s conscious and regular support will surely result in making Delhi a clean and beautiful city that will make not only Delhiwallas but all Indians proud as their capital city