Odisha: IT to monitor sanitation activities in 59 CMC wards

CUTTACK, Odisha: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) in Odisha has decided to introduce an Information Technology (IT) based system to monitor and supervise sanitation activities in 59 of its wards from September 1, 2023. Sanjibita Ray, Deputy Commissioner (sanitation), CMC, stated that the required software for the purpose has already been customised.

More than 100 sanitary workers of CMC and three manpower outsourcing agencies have been engaged to carry out cleaning and sanitation works. But the civic-body officials are saying that several sanitary workers are allegedly signing the attendance sheet without actually carrying out the work. To address this issue, the IT application will record the workers’ attendance through face recognition with geo-fencing. This will enable officials to track their attendance on a dashboard, including the time and location. The IT system will also track garbage trucks, their GPS routes, distance traveled, and idle time. Field supervisors will be required to use a mobile app for tracking and resolving issues.

The Swachh Sathis, women self-help groups (SHGs) that monitor waste collection in every ward, have also been accused of neglecting their duties. A QR code-based door-to-door garbage collection system will also be put in place in order to address the issue, and the Swachh Sathis will have to scan the QR code on the Digital Door Number (DDN) so that the civic body can keep track of them.

CMC has also built an app, and people within the CMC jurisdiction can download the app and send their complaints. “Implementation of Information Technology in monitoring and supervision of all sanitation activities will help reduce manual intervention besides bringing transparency and efficiency in the sanitation system,” said Ray.