1,000 plus sanitation workers tackle increased garbage generation during Kanwad Mela
Saturday, 23 July 2022 | PNS | Haridwar
With the garbage generation nearly doubling in Haridwar due to the ongoing Kanwad Mela, the number of sanitation workers of the Municipal Corporation of Haridwar (MCH) has also been doubled. Lakhs of Kanwadiyas travel to Haridwar using various means to fetch water from the Ganga and take it back to Shiva temples in their native places. More than four crore Kanwadiyas are expected to visit Haridwar during the Kanwad Mela this year.
The MCH too has made necessary arrangements to ensure that the garbage is disposed of properly and that the desired level of civic sanitation is maintained. Earlier, the MCH had sought 1,400 workers in view of the Kanwad Mela though about 600 additional workers could be added to the corporation’s workforce. Earlier, the MCH had 464 sanitation workers for the entire city. The number of sanitation workers has crossed 1,000 in view of the Kanwad Mela.
It will be recalled that the Kanwad Yatra could not be held during the past two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With crores of people expected to visit Haridwar during the Kanwad Mela and lakhs of them already visiting the city daily, the garbage generation has also increased considerably. Usually, the area under the MCH generates about 130 to 150 metric tonnes of solid municipal waste per day. This quantity increases to 250 to 300 metric tonnes per day during the Kanwad Mela. Assistant municipal commissioner Shyam Sundar said that in view of the Kanwad Mela, the daily expected garbage generation is about 300 metric tonnes. The number of sanitation workers has been increased and cleaning work is being undertaken in three shifts. The MCH is attempting to post the maximum number of sanitation workers along the Ganga Ghats to keep them clean, he added.
