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Clean and green initiative launched

—Photo: C.Venkatachalapathy

SHOWING THE WAY: Members of an SHG collecting garbage in Puducherry beach.

PUDUCHERRY: The Local Administration Department has launched a “Clean and Green” initiative to give the town and its suburban areas a new look.

“Following a direction from the Lieutenant Governor, we have launched the programme in all the wards of the Pondicherry Municipality and certain areas that fall under the Oulgaret Municipality. The scheme was launched a week ago,” Director of the Local Administration Department E. Vallavan told The Hindu. The programme would be monitored directly by the officials from the LAD, he further said.

Under the new scheme, a 24-hour cleaning programme would be launched in the eight wards of the Pondicherry Municipality and places such as Marimalaiadigal Salai, Ambedkar Salai, Cuddalore Salai, Mahatma Gandhi Road and Rajiv Gandhi Salai, he said.

The areas have been divided into different zones for collecting the garbage and the task was assigned to private contractors, he added. Mr. Vallavan said the scheme had already taken off in the Beach where members belonging to various self-help groups would collect garbage in three shifts starting from 11 a.m. The members would clean the beach, even the area covered with rock rubbles, till late in the night, he said.

The SHG members would also be used to create awareness among the public to keep the beach free of waste materials, he said adding that they would issue pamphlets to those visiting the beach highlighting the need to maintain the area hygienic. The Department would soon hold discussion with traders and hoteliers to seek their cooperation in making the programme a success. Efforts are being made to get corporate support to put new dust bins and replace old one in the town, Mr. Vallavan said. Once the cleaning programme picks up, the LAD planned to go in for a massive tree plantation drive in selected places in the town and adjoining areas, he said.

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