Nagpur: Waking up to the worsening state of sanitation in cities, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has now decided to go digital to maximise its outreach and tackle the problem head on.
Back in Nagpur too, the citizens can get their sanitation related problem resolved through app.
The Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) has launched an app ‘Swachhata MOUD’ on which citizens can get addressed their problems related to door-to-door garbage collection, sweeping of roads/streets and unhygienic public toilets within a timeframe. The civic body will have to ensure speedy and proper redressal of these problems as the state and central governments will monitor complaints, redressal time period and citizens’ feedback.
The NMC will have to go all out to satisfy citizens as MoUD has linked the app with Swachh Survekshan. Of the total 2,000 marks, 300 depend on complaints redressed and citizens’ feedback.
The MoUD launched the app in August, but the NMC implemented it a couple of days ago.
“We had no communication related to the app. We came to know when the state urban development department conducted a workshop to train two officials each from all civic bodies on the app at Thane on December 9. All officials of health department, assistant commissioners and zonal officers have downloaded the app. It will be displayed on the NMC’s website and spread awareness through distribution of pamphlets,” said an official of the NMC’s health department.
Leena Budhe of NGO Centre for Sustainable Development said, “Citizens can click a picture and upload on the app that runs on GPS. The official concerned will get a notification. Citizens can check the status of their complaints. Officials will have to resolve the problem in a given time period.”
Budhe said the NMC will have to operate the app in an effective manner. “MoUD conducts Swachh Survekshan of all cities in January. It has allotted 300 of the total 2,000 marks on the app. Therefore, the NMC has to solve the complaints and also get good feedback from citizens. MoUD is displaying the performance of all cities online. The city ranked 20th in Survekshan-2016,” she said.
Centre for Sustainable Development is helping the NMC in improving the ranking of the city by promoting the app, along with mitigating open defecation sites, construction of households and public toilets.
Additional municipal commissioner Ramanath Sonawane said citizens should download the app and help the NMC and city improve ranking. “Assistant commissioners, zonal officers and sanitary inspectors will resolve the complaints received on the app,” he said.
The NMC launched an app ‘Swachh Nagpur’ on a trial basis from Laxmi Nagar zone a few months ago. The plan was to launch the same app for remaining zones. Now, the NMC can heave a sigh of relief with the MOUD launching the app.