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PMC sends notices to 1,300 over mosquito-breeding sites

Friday, 12 September 2014 07:24 administrator
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The Times of India      12.09.2014 

PMC sends notices to 1,300 over mosquito-breeding sites

 

PUNE: Civic health officials have issued show-cause notices to as many as 1,300 people, including builders, scrap dealers and housing societies, for failing to clear mosquito-breeding spots on their premises.

"Most of those who have been issued notices are owners of construction sites and scrap dealers. We have also issued notices to housing societies. We will file criminal cases if the erring individuals and institutions fail to initiate measures to eradicate the breeding sites on their premises," said S T Pardeshi, medical officer of health, Pune Municipal Corporation.

The civic body's recently-drafted 'Malaria, dengue, chikungunya and other insect- and mosquito-borne diseases bylaws, 2013' states that it is the responsibility of the individual or institution using a property to keep it free of mosquito breeding sites."

We will implement the bylaws in letter and spirit once the state government approves them," said Sanjeev Wavare, assistant medical officer of health (AMoH), Pune Municipal Corporation.

According to a senior civic official, the bylaws state that an individual or institution should employ remedial measures if they see stagnant water on their premises which has mosquitoes breeding in it or is a potential breeding ground.

"Our health staff have started undertaking inspections at sites falling in the jurisdiction of the civic body. If they think that a particular area has stagnant water with mosquito larvae or is a potential site for mosquito breeding, they issue a 24-hour notice to the user of the premises," the official said.

The bylaws forbid individuals occupying private or government properties under the jurisdiction of the PMC from keeping objects such as buckets, cans, tyres in such a way that they may become breeding sites for mosquitoes.

"Those breaking these rules repeatedly will be fined Rs 1,000 every day. If they still continue to break these rules, they will be served a notice regarding filing of a criminal case against them," the official added.

The draft bylaws say that diseases such as malaria, dengue and chikungunya are primarily caused by mosquitoes. The most common spots for breeding of mosquito larvae are water tanks at construction sites, puddles, uncovered septic tanks, pipes without a mesh covering, uncovered wells, uncovered tanks on terraces, unused wells, non-functional fountains, swamps, lakes, gutters, swimming pools and unused water stocked for domestic purposes.

 

Door-to-door garbage collection likely to stop in Pune

Friday, 12 September 2014 07:23 administrator
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The Times of India       12.09.2014

Door-to-door garbage collection likely to stop in Pune

 

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation's (PMC) reluctance to renew its contract with SWaCH, the cooperative of waste-pickers, may result in the system of door-to-door garbage collection in the city coming to a halt.

The five-year agreement came to an end in September last. As per the contract, the PMC shouldered the responsibility of providing basic equipment like hand gloves, buckets, cotton scarfs, raincoats etc to waste-pickers besides contributing to welfare scheme of the members' children. The PMC had also promised to meet the administrative cost for collecting and segregating garbage from four lakh households in the city. All these benefits have stopped since the contract expired last year.

"For the last one year, we have been working without a contract and have been deprived of benefits offered by the PMC. We are running the show with the help of charges that we collect from people. The PMC has repeatedly assured us that the contract will be renewed, but nothing has happened so far," said Mangal Pagare, CEO of SWaCH. The PMC also needs to take a call on charges citizens will have to pay for the daily service.

Waste-pickers fear the system will collapse if the PMC continues to ignore the matter and delay a decision on renewal of the contract.

PMC's solid waste department head Suresh Jagtap said, "We are in the process of renewing the contract. We have already prepared a draft, which will be presented to elected representatives. Several rounds of meetings were held with SWaCH and the demands of waste-pickers have been taken care of."

SWaCH members want the PMC to clear the pending dues and ensure the terms and conditions of the contract are adhered to.

 

 

PMC to launch ‘mission sanitation’ today

Friday, 12 September 2014 07:17 administrator
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The Times of India       12.09.2014 

PMC to launch ‘mission sanitation’ today

 

Patna: State Urban Development and Housing Department (UDHD) has asked Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to get its tasks executed at the earliest. First in its list is 'mission sanitation', which the civic body will launch on Friday. The department will help in case of staff crunch.


At a meeting chaired by UDHD secretary Sandeep Poundrik a few days back, the department directed the PMC to take up 'mission sanitation' on urgent basis for the approaching festival season. Additional municipal commissioner (AMC) Shrisat Kapil Ashok told TOI a team of 60 to 70 sanitary workers in each circle would work under the supervision of their respective executive officers during the 'sanitation mission' from Friday.
Also, the PMC has ordered for over 360 handcarts to pick up garbage from streets. It has also sanctioned Rs3.55 lakh for the repair of old handcarts. A sum of Rs22 lakh has been sanctioned from the emergency fund for the purchase of brooms, limestone and bleaching powder. PMC commissioner Kuldip Narayan has also directed the chief sanitation officers to assure regular cleaning and sprinkling of limestone and bleaching powder.


The civic body will also ensure that all the puja committees during Durga Puja maintain cleanliness and keep dustbins in and around their respective pandals. It has also proposed to reward the cleanest pandal.
The AMC said additional 200 sanitation workers have been hired for Durga Puja and their number may be doubled for Diwali and Chhath. The mission will continue for two months from now, he said.


The UDHD has also directed the civic body to install 200 street lights in the NCC and 125 lights in Bankipore circle. At least 145 street lights have to be installed in the Kankarbagh circle and 150 in Patna City circle. The junior engineers under different power substations will help in installation work at the identified spots. This task has to be completed by September 24.


The PMC has also decided to repair the defunct high mast lights at the important spots of the city such as the area near Patna Junction, R-Block and Income Tax roundabout.

 
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