Mumbai, Mar 17 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) announced a cleanliness competition on Tuesday, which will involve the general public and celebrities from films and sports who will participate alongside various establishments.
The “Mumbai Clean League” is the brainchild of actor Akshay Kumar, who said the idea was inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL).
At a press conference held at the BMC headquarters, Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani announced the “Mumbai Clean League” competition in the presence of Akshay Kumar, Deputy Mayor Sanjay Ghadi, Standing Committee Chairman Prabhakar Shinde, and BJP leader Ameet Satam.
The competition will be launched immediately and continue till December.
Housing societies, schools, slums, hotels, gardens, public toilets and other establishments can participate under different categories.
Gagrani said Kumar has agreed to take the initiative, appeal to people from various strata of society, and serve as the brand ambassador.
“When we compare our city with other clean cities, we strongly realise that unless we get people to participate in cleaning the city on a large scale, we will not be able to achieve this. Until then, no matter how much cleaning we do through the municipal system, there may still be deficiencies,” Gagrani said.
All participants will be given a QR code, Gagrani said, adding that winners in various categories will receive awards and may also be eligible for concessions on property tax.
He said the competition will be conducted in a transparent manner and evaluated by a Central government body, which the civic body has already approached. The solid waste management department will monitor the process.
Gagrani said the competition will set a new milestone in the city’s overall cleanliness.
Akshay Kumar said the idea for the competition was inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL), which he had shared with the BMC Commissioner and others four to five months ago.
He added that he was pleasantly surprised to see the civic body fully prepared, with QR codes and other arrangements in place.
The actor also appealed to citizens to participate in the competition and keep the city clean.
“This can change a lot. We always depend on the BMC for cleanliness, but as citizens, what do we do? Now the time has come for citizens to act,” Kumar said.
Mumbai embraces everyone; it is the responsibility of each one of us to keep Mumbai clean and beautiful, he added.
Responding to a question about the impact of the ongoing gas cylinder shortage in the city and elsewhere, Kumar said his wife had ordered induction-based appliances, though he was unsure whether they had been delivered.
Gagrani said the evaluation of each registered establishment will be available in real-time on the website, adding that the competition will be evaluated by an independent third-party agency.
The competition has been organised to increase public participation in cleanliness and highlight its importance, according to a release issued by the BMC.
Celebrities from fields such as films and sports will participate alongside various establishments, creating a competitive environment that will help maintain cleanliness, it said.
The competition will be held in multiple categories, including clean administrative division (corporator group), clean administrative division (ward), clean residential complex, clean slum area, clean commercial establishment, clean hospital (government and private), clean restaurant, clean community toilet, clean roads/streets, clean gardens and open spaces, clean market areas, and adoption of surrounding areas, the release said.
The registration process for the competition started on March 17. Citizens and establishments can register by visiting https:ba.mcgm.gov.in/bmc/ or by scanning the QR code shared via social media, mass media, and awareness boards.
Under the clean administrative division (corporator group) category, prizes include Rs 1 crore for first place, Rs 75 lakh for second, and Rs 50 lakh for third. In the clean administrative division (ward) category, prizes are Rs 50 lakh, Rs 25 lakh, and Rs 15 lakh, respectively.
For categories such as clean residential complexes, slum areas, commercial establishments, hospitals, schools, restaurants, community toilets, roads, gardens/open spaces, and market areas, the prizes are Rs 15 lakh (first), Rs 10 lakh (second), and Rs 5 lakh (third). The same prize structure applies to the special category of adopting the surrounding areas for cleanliness. PTI KK NSK
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