With just days left to hand out fresh ranking of cities based on their work done in sanitation under Swacch Survekshan 2018, the Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) has taken slew of steps to keep the city clean and improve its ranking at the national level.
Gangtok stood at the eighth position among the 50 cities surveyed in 2016 and stood at 50th among 500 in the year 2017.
GMC commissioner Tshewang Gaychho Gangtok will compete among 4,014 cities this year at the national level.
The pan-India survey starting January 4, 2018 will have parameters like open defecation free (ODF); collection, transportation, processing and disposal of garbages; information, education and communication activities carried out by the municipalities regarding keeping the city clean; capacity building of municipal employees and any innovative ideas implemented by the civic bodies.
The evaluators will directly visit the citizens and take their feedbacks, carry out personal observation and assess the services extended by the GMC in keeping the city clean.
Meanwhile, the GMC commissioner appealed to the people of Gangtok to download the Swachhata mobile app and upload photographs of garbage, wastes piled or thrown in open for immediate action. He said support from the general public will help the GMC keep the city clean.
He also urged hotels, restaurants, business establishments and also households to segregate the wastes at source adding that only segregated wastes will be collected as per the allotted time schedule from the first day of the new year.
Improper dumping of construction and demolition wastes is a major cause of concern for the municipal authorities. The commissioner said, he would identify and allocate a proper dumping area for such wastes.
He also appealed to people to totally avoid open defecation and feeding stray animals and birds in public places.