New Delhi, Sep 23 : Aiming to enhance mechanisation in sanitation, NDMC Chairman Keshav Chandra on Tuesday began the distribution of a new set of modern sanitation equipment to replace hand-brooms across all its 14 sanitation circles.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) also organised a blood donation camp as part of 'Sewa Pakhwada', being observed to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday.

The distribution of sanitation equipment by the NDMC included 300 hand-held dustbins per circle for source-level waste collection, 27 fully-equipped cleaning trolleys for mechanised market cleaning and wet mopping, 14 megaphones to strengthen public awareness campaigns and 300 waste collection bags per circle for systematic and efficient street waste management, an official said.

Highlighting the significance of the initiative, Chandra said that 'Sanitation workers will now be equipped with modern trolleys carrying all essential cleaning tools ' from soap solutions to mops ' replacing traditional hand-brooms.'

'This step is part of NDMC's vision to combine innovation, mechanisation, and community engagement to deliver a cleaner and greener New Delhi,' he said.

The civic agency's Public Health Department launched the special programme ' 'Empowering Palika Sahayaks with Equipment for Improving Efficiency and Mechanisation of Sanitation' - at Khan Market, under the 'Swachhata Hi Sewa Pakhwada', said a statement.

Chandra said that sanitation practices must evolve with continuous innovation and experimentation to ensure efficiency, motivate employees, and deliver direct benefits to both residents and visitors of the city.

The initiative underscores NDMC's unwavering focus on sustainability and citizen-centric services, while also recognising the invaluable role of its Palika Sahayaks in maintaining the city's hygiene and aesthetics, said the statement.

The initiative reflects NDMC's commitment to modernising sanitation practices and ensuring world-class cleanliness standards in the capital.

In a related development, NDMC Secretary Tariq Thomas inaugurated a blood donation camp at NDMC headquarters, Palika Kendra. The blood donation camp was organised by Welfare Department of NDMC in association with Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS).

As a part of Sewa Pakhwada, another blood donation camp was organised by Blood Storage Centre under Medical Services Department of New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in collaboration with Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS) at Charak Palika Hospital, Moti Bagh.

The initiative with slogan of 'Donate Blood, Save Lives' received positive response from the employees and the general public.

A total of 72 donors registered and after screening 47 Blood Bags were collected successfully in this camp at Charak Palika Hospital. On the other hand, a total 21 blood units were donated by the employees of the NDMC at Palika Kendra, said the statement.

/IANS