UP govt issues instructions to ensure better cleanliness around temples and roads during festivals

Lucknow: Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh has started a special cleanliness campaign in the name of ‘Swachch Tyohar, Swasth Tyohar’ (Clean Festival, Healthy Festival), especially in and around temples and surrounding areas in view of the festivals.

The Urban Development and Energy Department has conveyed the message of celebrating Navratri, Dussehra, and Diwali festivals as ‘Swachch Tyohar, Swasth Tyohar’ by giving the main mantra ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’ for maintaining cleanliness in all municipal bodies of the state.

The department has issued instructions to all municipal officials and employees to ensure better cleanliness of the roads and streets, areas around religious places, monasteries, temples and Durga Puja pandals.

Dustbins should be placed around places of worship and people should be made llaware of it

The State Government’s Urban Development Minister, A.K. Sharma, informed all municipal officials and employees in line with the Chief Minister’s intention through a virtual meeting on Sunday. All the municipal bodies have been directed by the Urban Development Department to get the street lights repaired so that the devotees do not face any problem in commuting during the festivals.

Additionally, the instructions include that there should be no hindrance in the supply of clean drinking water anywhere. Proper disposal of offerings made by devotees and garbage should also be ensured. People should not litter offerings and garbage, and bins should be placed around places of worship. In this, the cooperation of public representatives should also be taken. People should also be made aware of celebrating clean and healthy festivals. They should be told not to use plastic, and efforts should be made to impose a complete ban on its use.

Devotees’ minds should remain clean

In view of the upcoming festivals, the Urban Development Minister gave instructions to complete the works like cleanliness, street lights, water supply, garbage disposal etc. in the municipal bodies. He emphasized the importance of providing a clean environment in urban areas, ensuring that devotees going for worship do not experience filth and dirt.

He also called for ensuring complete cleanliness on the streets, as well as of drains and sewers. Street lights should work properly everywhere to ensure that people don’t have to navigate through dark streets. He instructed the Jal Kal (water supply) department to ensure an adequate supply of clean drinking water during festivals, avoiding any disruption in water supply.

Toll free number 1533 will be extensively operational

While directing the officials, Sharma said that ‘Swachh Mandate Survey’ is underway. In such a situation, cooperation of the councilors of all the wards of the municipal bodies should be taken in cleanliness. Shortcomings in cleanliness in each ward should also be addressed.

He asked officials to ensure cleanliness around the Durga Puja pandals in urban areas. During festivals, devotees visit worship sites from morning to late at night, so special attention should be given to regular cleaning in the morning. Garbage should not be scattered around; bins should be provided for disposal. Medicines for controlling communicable diseases and mosquito-borne illnesses should be distributed to protect people from these diseases, CM Yogi remarked.

Furthermore, officials have been instructed to pay special attention to places where cases of waterlogging are reported. Proper arrangements should be made in all municipal bodies for environmentally-friendly idol immersion to prevent water pollution. The toll-free number 1533 should also be extensively operational for the immediate resolution of complaints.