The stage is set for the coronation of the city government in Dehradun. After the day was decided, work was done rapidly and all the preparations for the swearing-in were completed by Thursday evening. However, due to less time, eight teams of the Municipal Corporation were busy throughout the day in distributing the invitation cards after printing them.
With the oath of office and secrecy of the Mayor and 100 councillors today, the new board of the Municipal Corporation will come into existence. The term will also start from today with the first board meeting. However, many challenges are also facing the new board, including cleanliness system, street lights and increasing income.
The Municipal Commissioner took stock of the preparations
The newly elected executive of the state’s largest municipal corporation will take oath today. At five in the evening, 100 councillors including the Mayor will take oath. Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey will administer the oath to the Mayor in front of all the VVIP guests including the Chief Minister. Preparations have been made for this in the Municipal Corporation.
The newly elected executive will take oath today
On Thursday, Municipal Commissioner Namami Bansal himself visited the spot and reviewed the preparations. Along with setting up tents in the Municipal Corporation premises, cleaning and decoration have been done. The corporation premises have also been decorated with colorful lights. This time, the oath taking ceremony is estimated to cost around 12 to 15 lakh rupees. Whereas, last time this expenditure was around eight lakh rupees.
The first meeting will be held after the oath taking
On the other hand, eight teams of the Municipal Corporation were busy on Thursday in delivering invitation letters to all the MLAs, ministers, MPs and all the VIP guests. Along with this, the phones also kept ringing. Along with this, there is a possibility of hustle and bustle in the corporation premises from this morning itself. After the oath taking, the first formal meeting of the new board will also be held. In which, from introduction to other general formalities will be done.
There are no less challenges in the path of the new board
Waste management and disposal remains a big problem in Doon. A concrete plan has to be made for 100% door-to-door garbage collection and to make public places garbage free. Transfer stations and garbage disposal plants have to be organized and expanded. Apart from this, it is also a challenge to dispose wet and dry garbage separately by doing source segregation.
Encroachment on footpaths and roads
Roads in Dehradun are narrow, which causes traffic jams. Encroachment on footpaths and roadsides is a big challenge here. Along with running a comprehensive campaign against it, work will have to be done on permanent encroachment-free roads. The Municipal Corporation will have to take steps to deal with the parking problem. Apart from this, the problem of encroachment on footpaths and public places has become a sore for Doon. Due to permanent and temporary encroachment and illegal construction, pressure on traffic and drainage system increases.
Work on drainage and flood management
The problem of waterlogging is common in Doon during monsoon. The entire city becomes a pond in just a short spell of rain. The drainage system of the city is old and disorganized. The network of drains will have to be increased and the choked drains will have to be prepared for drainage. Drainage is obstructed due to garbage being thrown into rivers and drains. Also, construction material gets accumulated in the drains and deflates the system.
Responsibility of implementing these schemes
Schemes like purchasing road sweeping machines in the city, upgradation of Sheeshambada, mechanized transfer station, smart vending zone, smart food court, beautification of mini pond as a tourist spot, construction of cycle track etc. could not come out of the files during the tenure of the previous board. In such a situation, the challenge of implementing them on time lies on the shoulders of the new board.
Lack of basic facilities
The number of public toilets in the city is less.
There is a lack of parks, playgrounds and community centers.
There are no vending zones for fruit and vegetable vendors.
There is no vehicle parking facility in busy areas of the city.
