Union minister for power and housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal on Saturday launched in Bengal the Swachha mobile application, which lets citizens report garbage accumulation and sanitation-related issues to municipal authorities.
The app was launched in Kolkata in the presence of Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, state minister Agnimitra Paul and other officials.
The app allows residents to click pictures of garbage accumulation in their municipal area and upload them. This would be geo-tagged and sent to the municipality for action.
Civic authorities will then upload photographs of the site after the issue is resolved. Residents can provide feedback on the response.
Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari said that the app would be initially launched in 10 municipalities including Asansol, Durgapur, Basirhat, Pujali, Tufanganj, Contai, Krishnanagar, Baidyabati and Madhyamgram, before being expanded to all municipalities of the state.
The app would be extended to other municipalities after the trial of the pilot phase.
Adhikari said the initiative would support local bodies in addressing civic complaints more efficiently.
The app comes with 18+ complaint categories, from dead animals and uncleared dustbins to unwashed public toilets. Users can keep track of what actions municipal officials take.
"I want to assure the people of West Bengal that we will work with every ministry of the Union government to ensure that all the benefits of a double-engine government, which 20 other states are receiving, are extended to our state as well," Adhikari said at the launch.
He said his government had signed a Rs 39,000-crore agreement under the Jal Jeevan Mission with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti through virtual mode.
He also said the state had received approval of Rs 2,103 crore under the National Health Mission and Rs 976 crore under the Ayushman Bharat Mission.
State minister Paul said the objective of the app is to improve cleanliness and waste management across Bengal.