As we send this July issue to press, the new budget is announced promising an overall GDP growth of 7-8%, a step in the right direction of economic recovery. Moving towards the government’s ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’, the need for sanitation is given utmost importance. The government intends to cover every household by total sanitation by the year 2019. Earlier, the Railway budget had announced a 40% increase over the previous year in fund allocation for cleanliness. There is a move to outsource cleaning activities at major stations and set a separate housekeeping department to look into the cleanliness and sanitation requirements at the stations. The plan will cover helpline number, CCTV at stations, regular auditing of cleanliness standards, bio-toilets, etc. The thrust on infrastructure/real estate development & creation of smart cities/industrial cities and attention to warehousing & hospitality sectors, the outsourcing of Facility Management activities is likely to increase. Clean India Journal will bring to its readers in the next issue more detailed views on the impact of the budget on the cleaning industry.
Talking on the cleanliness in the railway sector, we have this time the main story focusing on the upkeep of the metro rails: both of the rolling stock and the stations. After talking to the officials of a few of the main Metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Chennai – we found that the cleaning activities are not being handled as scientifically and professionally as it should be. Indian commuters also have miles to go in accepting the responsibility of not littering or dirtying the coaches during the short duration of travel. Imposing fine is one thing – like in Singapore – but the sheer volume of travellers in our country makes it difficult and only awareness creation can help.
The 11th edition of Clean India Show in Ahmedabad is getting closer. A lot of interest has been created in Gujarat among the various sectors like healthcare, hospitality, food processing, pharma… and all the municipal corporations. The show promises unexplored opportunities and a wider market both to the exhibitors and visitors.
Editor-in-Chief
Clean India Journal
