MUMBAI, July 24: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to observe the golden jubilee of India's independence on August 15 as Zero Garbage Day.According to sources, Municipal Commissioner Girish Gokhale has already issued circulars in this regard to all ward officers instructing them to prepare for the day in advance.Said Additional Municipal Commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad, the circulars include details on the guidelines to be followed by the ward staff in ensuring the success of this day. ``They will have to gear up for this purpose, and work has already commenced in full swing,'' he said.While Gaikwad has already started making rounds of ward offices to monitor the preparations, sources said mayor Vishakha Raut, who has been associated with the cleanliness drive, will also inspect the work.As part of the preparations, the BMC has also decided to clean up the culverts along railway tracks. In an official reply to Raut's letter bearing no MS/2280/M dated July 15, Gaikwad said the issue has already been discussed with the Railway authorities,and all the culverts and drains will be cleaned.He asserted that he has ``instructed the ward officers to repeatedly coordinate with railway officials and remove accumulated garbage near railway tracks before August 15.'' He was hopeful that the BMC's would be successful in making Mumbai spotlessly clean by the decided deadline. ``We hope to achieve zero garbage level in Mumbai by Independence day, and will strive to maintain that level in the future as well,'' he said.
