Chandigarh, Dec. 4 -- The Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) on Wednesday formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with door-to-door waste collectors and distributed sanitation kits to all MoU workers. The ceremony was held in the presence of city mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla, MC commissioner Amit Kumar and area councillors. Dr Inderdeep Kaur, medical officer of health, senior officers of MCC, representatives of Waste Collectors' Union, Safai Saathis, and local residents were also present on the occasion. While addressing all attendees, the mayor expressed gratitude to the door-to-door waste collectors (Safai Saathis) for their relentless commitment. "Chandigarh is known as the city beautiful not just because of its architecture and greenery, but because of the tireless efforts of the Safai Saathis, who ensure the city remains clean every single day," she said. Highlighting the city's progress since the inception of the Swachh Bharat Mission, she emphasised that segregated waste collection has been a key to Chandigarh's goal of becoming a zero-landfill city. She noted the visionary decision that made Chandigarh one of the first cities to formalise the role of informal waste collectors through an MoU back in 2021. Referring to the present MoU, the mayor said, "This new agreement is the result of extensive discussions, mutual respect, and collective problem-solving. Today's ceremony is a symbol of the recognition and appreciation for the 926 waste collectors who have been reintegrated and empowered under this new system."...