Chandigarh launches Swaachta Anthem to showcase circular economy

Chandigarh, July 1 In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh on Saturday released its Swaachta Anthem for Swachh Survekshan 2023 to lead the City Beautiful to showcase optimal waste transformation to wealth, a step towards achieving circular economy, and greenery.

The Swaachta Anthem -- the brainchild of Anindita Mitra, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation -- puts together the endeavour to keep the city clean, green and lively -- a story of hope and change.

The anthem has nice lyrics with a soothing composition.

“Yes, it is the first time that such an anthem has been made and released by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh,” Mitra told IANS.

“Every year, Swachh Survekshan is conducted in which cities across the country participate. Chandigarh slipped to the 16th rank in 2021. We improved our rank to 12th in 2022. Now in 2023, we aim to be in the top five,” she said.

However, the Commissioner said that despite the best efforts, “we cannot make Chandigarh the cleanest city in the country without the help and support of our citizens”.

“Through this Swacchta Anthem, the Municipal Corporation is reaching out to its citizens and seeking support so that together we can all work towards becoming number one in the country,” she daid.

Waste that arrives at dumpsites is hardly ever sorted, separated or in a state possible for regeneration.

Chandigarh follows a true example of women-led sanitation.

Reeta is one of the ‘ambassadors of cleanliness’ who works in a dump yard in Dadumajra on the outskirts of the city, where they scavenge through the waste to identify what is redeemable and what is not.

These waste collectors eke a living from picking through the waste that is dumped by dozens of waste trucks each day.

The Municipal Commissioner's aim is to make the City Beautiful number one in cleanliness and greenery, besides making it pollution-free for the well-being of its 7.1 lakh residents.

Under Mitra's leadership, the civic body’s campaign 'Chandigarh Ki Naari, Gandagi pe Bhari', aimed at acknowledging women's contribution to a clean city, concluded on International Women’s Day on March 8.

Thirty women, comprising safai mitras, toilet cleaners and material recovery facility workers, were facilitated as part of the women empowerment celebrations.

Chandigarh ranked 12th among cities with more than one lakh population in the 2022 Swachh Survekshan rankings that were declared in October last year.

For improving score from 71.3 per cent to 82.7 per cent to move four positions up from 16th rank in 2021, the credit goes to Mitra, who says the civic body focused on improving service delivery and citizen involvement.

“We will continue to work towards improving our rankings further,” she told IANS.

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