Those companies in India which are not taking advantage of the outsourcing boom spearheading through the cleaning industry may be missing the bus. If your company hires a service provider to do the public area cleaning, office cleaning, window cleaning, landscaping, pest control or a janitor to come in and

Sanitization of the hospitals is as essential as the treatment of the patients. Sanitization not only entails in maintaining cleanliness but also in disposing off the waste matter. Ashok Malkani finds that disposal of dry and wet waste involves different processes. Also, while some hospitals prefer in-house support services to do the task, others outsource this complex and onerous assignment.

Car fumes, the factory smoke and the dust in the atmosphere are the daily dose of all metro residents. A patch of greenery in the midst of concrete jungle acts like a balm. Ashok Malkani discovers that besides maintaining the condition of the present gardens the municipality has plans to make them more attractive by launching a beautification drive and converting some of them to theme parks.

Come rain and there is complete chaos on the roads. Inevitably there are floods and people are found wading their way home through knee deep water. This is a national phenomenon and not just confined to one city. People often lose their lives and property due to the lackadaisical attitude of the municipal corporations who do not keep the roads clean and the drainage system clear. Last year Mumbai faced an unprecedented deluge. Ashok Malkani finds what the Mumbai Municipal Corporation has done to avoid recurrence of this tragedy. Are the steps taken sufficient to ward off last year’s mishap? If so, the other municipalities should take a leaf from this.

Water pollution has achieved deadly proportions. Pesticides and fertilizers’ residues are seeping into groundwater. Sewage waste is adding to the pollution of water bodies. The ultimate result is that the layman is supplied with water that could have harmful effects on the human health. Ashok Malkani finds that these deadly elements also include arsenic. Scientists have found that the reason for this is the devil-may-care attitude of the people who pay scant attention to how they discard waste matter and the untreated industrial effluent that is discarded in the water bodies.

‘Operation Clean Up’ is the watch word for the professionals who help maintain the city’s cleanliness and hygiene. Be it hospitals, hotels, parks or public streets and other public utilities, they play an important part in maintaining their cleanliness. Ashok Malkani finds another field that they have ventured into – Beach Cleaning. Looking at the condition of the beaches and the multitude of beaches that India boasts of this is a prospective arena.

‘While maintaining the city clean has been the hue and cry of the masses they have paid scant attention to the most important aspect of health: Good, clean food. A person’s health depends entirely on not only his diet but also the way the food is prepared. Ashok Malkani takes a peek at the way the food is prepared in restaurants and what are the methods they employ to ensure that high standards of hygiene are maintained in their kitchens.

‘‘H’ is for hygiene. ‘V’ is for viral disease. If you neglect the first you are apt to get the second; and that is exactly what is happening all over the country. Dengue, chikunguniya, malaria are only a few of the diseases that have assumed epidemic proportions. Ashok Malkani finds that stagnant water in tanks, pools etc is a breeding ground for the mosquitoes which spread these diseases. The present alarming situation of the increasing dengue, chikunguniya and malaria cases is due to the negligent attitude of the municipal corporations and the general public who are loathe to observe hygienic conditions.