Vadodara: Untreated sewage and drainage still flow into rivers today
Vadodara: Vadodara has moved from 14th to 33rd in the Vadodara Swachh Survekshan. This time Vadodara has got Water Plus rating in ODF certification. ODF means Open Defecation Free i.e. freedom from open defecation and reuse of more than 20 percent of Vadodara’s dirty water. But the reality is different from this. The Congress leader says that Water Plus rating means that not a single toilet in Vadodara should go into the river without treatment, but is this true? At present, there is a plan to treat and reuse more than 20 percent of the dirty water.
Open defecation is still prevalent in Vadodara. There is no system for plastic waste management. The project to generate energy from waste has been missing for two years. The landfill site has been closed for five years. No pre-processing of waste. 1,200 metric tons of garbage is dumped daily. Vadodara is ranked 96th in the Citizen Voice category, which means that 1 to 96 cities with population more than one lakh have better solid waste disposal systems than Vadodara.
Vadodara is not a garbage free city. Former Baju Congress leader and senior corporator has targeted the rulers of Vadodara city and said that sanitation workers should be kept away from politics, they should not be used for party work, they should be kept away from rallies and should only do cleaning work. According to him, a true employee does not get 720 days because he is not hired. Also, sweepers in the corporation are appointed on contract basis. In which there is exploitation, recruitment of women sanitation workers is stopped. The vehicles going from door to door are also filled with soil and wheels and weighed. People go around weaving plastic bags by hanging them on vehicles going from door to door.
During the Congress rule in the corporation, sanitation workers were given uniforms from the day they came to work. There was no daily contract system. His heartbeat had become stable. Loans were given during festivals. Supervisors were given powers. Safai sevaks were allotted within the colony, pole, chalice and society. If a sweeper was not provided, Rs 15 per month per family was given, meaning the society could hire a sweeper. If sanitation workers are given adequate salary and all rights then they can do better work and Vadodara can come ahead.
