Gangtok Collector launches weekly clean-up drive, focus on tourist areas

District Collector Tushar Nikhare on Sunday said that the district administration has started a series of weekly clean-up activities in Gangtok with a special focus on areas frequented by tourists. Speaking to the media at a press conference, he explained that the idea behind the initiative is to keep the city’s prime locations neat, organised, and welcoming for both visitors and residents.

Nikhare said the drive began with MG Marg, which is one of the most visited places in Gangtok, along with the nearby shopping complexes. “MG Marg is the heart of the city. We started from there because it is the prime area of concern. Tourists, local residents, and shopkeepers all use this stretch every day. After MG Marg, we moved to the shopping complex area and now we have taken the drive to the highway,” he told reporters.

According to him, the cleaning work covers a stretch of around three to four kilometres at a time. The idea is to focus on one patch every week and then expand the campaign to surrounding areas, including residential neighbourhoods. “Once we clean the central areas, we will slowly move into the alleys and colonies. The aim is to make sure every part of the town is looked after,” the Collector said.

He further said that during every visit, deadlines are fixed for completion of pending tasks. “We usually give seven to ten days to complete the work in a particular area. In the next weekly review, we check whether the directions have been followed. If not, we call the concerned people and ask them why they could not finish the task,” he said.

On Sunday, the team worked on the highway stretch starting from the taxi stand point and continued till the PSU area. This zone, too, will be reviewed in the coming week to ensure that the instructions given are followed properly.

The administration is not only looking at cosmetic cleaning but also at ensuring systematic management of garbage, roadside drains, and public spaces. Officials said the process involves coordination with different departments, shopkeepers, taxi operators and local residents.

Nikhare said that the initiative is not a one-time event but will continue every week. “This is a weekly activity. Every week, we will take up a patch, review progress, and assign fresh deadlines. The cycle will continue until all areas are covered,” he added.