New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has increased the deployment of sanitation workers by around 50% in areas affected by recent protests across Lutyens’ Delhi after receiving complaints about accumulated waste, damage to public properties and vandalised toilets.
The special drive covered Mandi House, Jantar Mantar, Barakhamba Road, Janpath and Connaught Place Tuesday following the protests over Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls between Oct 7 and 13. NDMC vice-chairman Kuljeet Singh Chahal said more than 300 metric tonnes of waste was collected daily during the protests.
“NDMC had received complaints about waste and dirty surroundings after the protests and immediately started the drive to ensure that citizens, traders, embassy staff and people visiting schools did not face any inconvenience,” he said. He said hundreds of packets containing food had been wasted. “Such activities not only affect the beauty of the capital but also require additional resources to repair and maintain public properties,” said Chahal.
The affected areas house several important institutions and establishments, including Parliament, govt offices, embassies, VIP residences, leading hotels and schools, NDMC stated. Chahal took to social media to accuse Congress and other parties of leaving large quantities of food packets on roads. “This is an insult to farmers too; they grow crops. This is an insult to the women and men who prepare these rotis . Rahul Gandhi is playing with the roti of the poor,” Chahal alleged. In another social media post, however, Congress Seva Dal workers were seen cleaning the streets Monday night. Congress didn’t respond to the allegations. NDMC alleged that green belts, trees, plants and footpaths were damaged at several places, while posters pasted on walls and slogans written on public surfaces affected cleanliness and appearance of these areas.