Civic sense drives for Delhiites before CWG-2010

Ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games, municipal agencies in Delhi are contemplating civic sense awareness drives and harsher anti-littering measures so that citizens play their part in presenting a "clean" front to visitors during the mega event.

Before the Beijing Olympics in 2008, neighbouring China had taken up an extensive campaign to sensitise people and a similar drive here against spitting and littering can pay dividends, officials feel.
    
"Other than the municipalities, the citizens too have a key role to play in keeping the city spic-and-span. We are planning a civic sense awareness drive so that we can involve the people in our efforts for a clean Delhi," a senior official of New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) said.

The NDMC plans to distribute pamphlets and leaflets to make the people aware of their duties as citizens and will also make public announcements in this regard, he said.

It has already displayed advertisements in some areas under its jurisdiction asking people to cooperate with the NDMC in keeping the city clean and refrain from littering.

The official said that NDMC undertakes anti-littering drives and fines civic offenders. "We have inspectors and municipal magistrates for this."

But he admitted that the penal provisions are not enough to deter littering and spitting. "The Rs 50 fine is too less. We need stricter measures," he said.

A senior official of Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the primary civic agency of the national capital, also feels that harsher penalties are needed to stop people from throwing garbage on the streets.
    
"Many a times we see people throwing garbage on roads from their cars and driving away. There should be provision to alert the traffic police so that they can be caught and fined," MCD Deputy Commissioner Brig (retd) Rajender Singh, in charge of improving sanitation standards in six zones of the civic body, said.
    
The MCD has also been framing a bylaw to prevent littering, spitting and urinating in public.
    
"This will involve higher fines for civic offenders, which will be handed out on the spot. We are carrying out the necessary formalities and the measures will be in place after the corporation gives approval to the proposal," Mayor Kanwar Sain said.
 
He has also proposed to have a 150-strong dedicated cadre of policemen working to combat civic offenders.
    
Citizens feel the anti-littering provisions should be brought soon. "The other day I visited Connaught Place, I was shocked to see that the freshly painted walls at the redeveloped C Block have been blemished with paan stains. We really lack civic sense," Neha Gupta, a student, said.

"Civic sense awareness drives will be helpful. This is our city and we should maintain its cleanliness," said Vinod Sharma, a businessman.