By Kanu Sarda, IANS
New Delhi : How often have you wished that the civic authorities would sweep the roads at night – like it is done in most major cities around the world – so you wouldn’t have to walk through clouds of dust in the mornings?
Apparently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) – the two civic bodies in the capital – had given an undertaking to sweep the capital’s roads at night in the wake of a Delhi High Court order in 2003.
But barring 41 areas, they are far from practising it as a hearing in the court last month highlighted.
“MCD cannot just give up the idea of night sweeping by submitting its mere difficulties,” says Ravinder Raj, a lawyer, who had brought the issue to the notice of the court eight years ago.
“The city is going to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and it’s a matter of pride for us to make it more presentable,” Raj told IANS.
He has now filed a contempt petition against the civic agencies for not complying with the court’s order.
The concept was adopted in many Indian cosmopolitan cities years ago. Chennai, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Rohtak and Jammu have the system of sweeping in the night instead of in the mornings and have practised it with great success.
The 41 areas of Delhi where it is carried out include Karol Bagh, Chandni Chowk, East of Kailash, Anand Parbat, Okhla, Mehrauli, Nehru Place, Bhogal Main Bazaar, Bhikaji Cama Place, Yusuf Sarai and Shalimar Bagh.
Officials said night sweeping was launched in December 2003 at the direction of the Delhi High Court.
Sweeping between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., when people stay indoors, was aimed at avoiding dust pollution during the peak morning hours – 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. – when the MCD normally does the sweeping.
The system – which is widely practised around the world – was to be extended to all the 400 areas under the MCD and NDMC, as per the court’s directive. But that has not happened, with the MCD citing practical difficulties and resistance from employees.
Adverse weather conditions, inadequate and non-functional streetlights, parking of vehicles on roads and public places and steel gates at the entrance of various colonies are some of the hurdles cited by MCD officials.
Stiff resistance from ‘safai karmacharis’ (sweepers) against doing night shifts is another reason given by officials in defence of their decision.
“Most of the time, karmacharis deputed for night sweeping abstain from work. Given that they have a strong union, we are unable to take any action,” a senior MCD official said.
A senior official from the MCD sanitation department asked: “How can we think of night sweeping when we are struggling to clean up the roads, streets and public places during daytime?”