Coming up with yet another ambitious project, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is to prepare a wide-ranging Cleanliness Plan and submit it to the State Government within next two months and ask for the central assistance in perking up the hygienic practices and advancement of sewerage management in the town. Intentions are clear. The civic body plans to go clean.

Civic officials had a long meeting on Friday with the members of the All-India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG) to prepare the outline of the plan. AIILSG is a government organization co working with the civic bodies for the development of the area and betterment of the life of citizens.

The first citizen of Pune Mr. Mohansingh Rajpal said on Friday, “The plan is in the pipeline and soon will be sent to the State Government. A copy of the same will be sent to the Central Government as well for financial support.”

The PMC expects full cooperation from the citizen in the campaign. A special committee has been set up under Mayor Manmohan Singh and some of the NGOs too have offered their contribution in the execution of the plan. The main committee with the assistance of different ward-level committees will survey the condition of garbage treatment and cleanliness practices in the city and prepare a report listing down the necessary infrastructure for the campaign.

To the great disappointment of the PMC, Pune has got a dismal 65^th place in the Union Urban Development ministry rankings for sanitation and hygienic standards. The ministry took stock of the sanitary management and sewage treatment in more than 400 cities across the country having population of more than a lakh and rated them. The purpose of this rating was of course making people aware of the importance of cleanliness and encouraging them for inculcating good sanitary habits.

Red, black, blue and green are the classifications for these cities after they have been ranked. A green rating shows the city performing up to the mark in the environmental conservation. Blue indicates city doing well but having scope for a better performance. Black rating shows a need for substantial improvement in the cleanliness practices of the city and a red one is an indicator of an alarming situation.

Unfortunately no city in India could be ranked as a green city. Chandigarh, Surat, mysore and New Delhi municipal council area could secure a place in the blue category. 229 cities in India including Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad have been listed down in the black category and the remaining huge number of 190 cities has fallen in the red category which is indeed a matter of concern for the State as well as Central Governments.

The PMC hopes for a better performance after the execution of the plan.