GHMC to rope private agencies for the sanitary maintenance of tourist spots

The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is floating tenders to rope in more private agencies for the sanitary maintenance of 12 tourist spots in the city on a yearly basis. This comes after it conducted a pilot project, involving private firms, in ensuring hygiene and sanitation at Charminar, Secunderabad Railway Station, Mecca Masjid, High Court and Salar Jung Museum.

Ixora Corporate Services Pvt Ltd took up the project at Charminar and a few other locations in the last 45 days. Nearly 100 workers and eight machines, including auto scrubbers, jet washers and mechanised sweepers, were deployed for cleaning and washing the premises around the monuments. The workers are



divided in three shifts, commencing from 6 am. The last shift starts at 10 pm and ends at 6 am, and about 45 workers and machines are deployed.

A similar exercise was being carried out at other monuments too, K Krishna Chaitanya, director, Ixora, said. The pilot project was conducted to enable the agencies understand the scope of the work. With positive feedback from residents and others, GHMC is floating tenders to rope in more agencies to entrust sanitation works at 12 identified tourists spots. It will be an annual contract and the agency will be penalised for negligence or shoddy work. They will also set up a help desk to guide tourists.