Ludhiana Municipal Corporation Turns to Neighboring Mullanpur for Swachh Survekshan Insights
In a strategic move ahead of the upcoming Swachh Survekshan, the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has shifted its focus from distant cities to the nearby Mullanpur Dakha municipal council, located just kilometers away. This marks a departure from previous excursions to cities like Indore and Vellore, as officials scramble to secure valuable marks in the national cleanliness survey scheduled for next month.
Scale Disparity Raises Questions About Practical Implementation
Senior MC officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, highlighted the stark contrast between the two municipalities. Mullanpur Dakha, with its 15 wards, generates approximately 5 metric tons of solid waste daily, while Ludhiana, an industrial hub with 95 wards, produces between 1,000 and 1,100 metric tons. One official emphasized that "a single ward in Ludhiana MC is larger than the entire Mullanpur town."
Despite these differences, Mullanpur earned the Swachh city title in January 2024 for its effective solid waste management, including the successful use of pits for waste segregation. Ludhiana, currently ODF+, aims for ODF++ status this year. Officials suggest that any adoptable practices from Mullanpur would need to be implemented ward-wise, though they candidly admit that "the primary purpose is to get marks."
History of Study Tours with Limited Results
Over the past three years, Ludhiana MC has undertaken multiple visits to other cities to learn waste management techniques, with minimal tangible outcomes:
- June 2019: A team traveled to Vellore, Tamil Nadu, to study waste management and door-to-door collection systems. No implementations followed.
- October 2020: Officials visited Indore, the perennial top-ranked city in Swachh Survekshan, to observe their waste management strategies.
- October 2020: Another team went to Jodhpur to learn techniques for handling dead animals and construction waste. Related plants remain incomplete or non-operational.
- June 2021: Chennai's solid waste management system was reviewed.
- July 2021: Visits to Okhla in South Delhi and Bewari in Rajasthan inspired a detailed project report for generating 9-10 MW of energy from garbage, leveraging Ludhiana's daily household waste of 1,100-1,200 tons. This proposal has yet to move beyond paper.
As Swachhta Survekshan teams prepare to visit Ludhiana next month, officials are busy completing documentation. The question remains whether this latest trip to Mullanpur will yield more than just marks or join the list of well-intentioned but unimplemented initiatives.
