With Indore’s Help, Depalpur Reports A Visible Improvement In Cleanliness

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): As part of the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative, Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) continues to provide technical support and guidance to Depalpur Municipality Council as a mentor city in the areas of sanitation and solid waste management.

As part of the ongoing preparations for the upcoming Swachh Survekshan, IMC Commissioner Kshitij Singhal conducted an inspection of Depalpur on Saturday to assess the city’s readiness and review the progress of sanitation-related works.

The Commissioner inspected several locations across the town, including residential and commercial stretches, the trenching ground, schools, gardens, community and public toilets, door-to-door waste collection vehicles, source segregation systems, tourist areas, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR) centres and water bodies. Officials were instructed to complete all remaining works as per Swachh Survekshan protocols within the stipulated timeline.

Speaking during the visit, Singhal said Depalpur has shown remarkable progress under the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative. He noted that citizens are actively participating in waste segregation, door-to-door garbage collection, cleanliness drives in market areas, RRR activities and maintaining cleanliness at public spaces. While the sanitation system was found satisfactory, officials were directed to further strengthen the arrangements.

According to municipal officials, with the guidance of the IMC, the door-to-door waste collection system has been reinforced across all 15 wards of Depalpur. Continuous Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are being conducted to implement four-way segregation of wet, dry, sanitary, and domestic hazardous waste at the household level.

Current reports indicate that regular waste collection is being carried out from more than 3,269 households and 868 commercial establishments. Separate waste transportation is being ensured through six compartmentalised vehicles.

The inspection also included a review of the work carried out at the trenching ground. Approximately 1,250 metric tonnes of legacy waste have undergone scientific bio-remediation in Depalpur, with participation from over 500 ragpickers. As a result, nearly 2.2 acres of land have been reclaimed for reuse, marking a significant step toward making Depalpur a zero legacy waste city.

To increase citizen participation, the municipality has been conducting cleanliness dialogues, school-based awareness programmes, RRR drives, two-dustbin campaigns, anti-littering initiatives, single-use plastic-free campaigns, and community outreach activities. Reports suggest that 2,568 IEC activities have been organised in the past six months, leading to noticeable behavioural changes among residents regarding cleanliness.

Singhal further directed officials to intensify activities at RRR centres, increase the collection of reusable items from citizens, and continue awareness drives in schools and markets. Instructions were also issued to improve GPS monitoring of door-to-door collection vehicles, attendance tracking of sanitation workers, regular sweeping, drain cleaning, and grievance redressal systems.

Residents of Depalpur have also acknowledged the positive transformation in sanitation services. Citizens said that compared to earlier conditions, door-to-door waste collection has become more regular, cleanliness in market areas has improved, awareness about waste segregation has increased, and public spaces are visibly cleaner.