North Delhi brings in Mr Swachh and Madam Safai Pasand to instil civic sense

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has given shape to four characters with good civic sense named Mrs Saf Suthiri (clean), Mr Swachh Kumar (hygienic) , Mr Chakachak (spotless) , Madam Safai Pasand. The civic body has also created four other characters with bad civic sense named Susu Kumar, Thu Thu Kumar, Kuda Kumar and Poly Aunty to promote cleanliness in the city.

Mr Chakachak (clean) and Mrs Saf Suthiri (hygienic) will help instil better civic sense and urge Delhiites not to urinate or throw garbage in the open.

Hoardings put up in north Delhi to ensure a clean city.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has given shape to four characters with good civic sense named Mrs Saf Suthiri (clean), Mr Swachh Kumar (hygienic) , Mr Chakachak (spotless) , Madam Safai Pasand. The civic body has also created four other characters with bad civic sense named Susu Kumar, Thu Thu Kumar, Kuda Kumar and Poly Aunty to promote cleanliness in the city.

Hoardings with pictures of the characters will be put at several locations in North Delhi. Also digital screens on railway stations and ad-wraps on Metro feeder buses will be used to advertise these characters.

The idea is that people who do not follow civic rules feel embarrassed by relating to the negative characters and make efforts to identify themselves with the positive characters.

The campaign will start from Tuesday and will cost the corporation around Rs 95 lakh.

Mrs Saf Suthiri will urge people not to throw garbage in open and Mr Swaksh Kumar will request people to use public urinals. Mr Chakachak will carry the message and slogans to use dustbins and Madam Safai Pasand will urge people not to urinate in the open.

Slogans such as Istamal karti kudedan, apne seher ko saaf rahkne me deti yogdan (she uses dustbins to help keep the city keep clean) and banate seher ko ye swachh aur sundar, ganda nahi karte ise wo idhar udhar thuk kar (he keeps the city clean by not spitting here and there) composed in the form of radio jungles will be played by several FM stations.

North Corporation commissioner PK Gupta said, “The corporation has been making several efforts to promote cleanliness but it was not giving due results. So we thought that behavioural change is important to ensure a hygienic Delhi.”

The campaign, in the first leg, will last for 60 days and based on the feedback from the public future campaigns will be planned.

A similar campaign was planned by North Delhi corporation in which characters like Susu Kumar, Thu Thu Kumar were created but was not launched.

“We could not execute the project then due to fund crisis but this time money has been sanctioned,” said a senior official of the corporation.