New Delhi: To give a push to the Swachh Bharat Mission, the ministry of urban development will release a ranking of India’s cleanest cities on Monday based on the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ survey conducted by the Quality Council of India, which is associated with the ministry.
The survey was conducted in 73 cities with a population of over 1 million, keeping in mind the parameters of the Swachh Bharat Mission, such as access to sanitation facilities, strategy to tackle open defecation and solid waste management.
“The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in October 2014. It is now time for the government to have an account of the difference being made on the ground. The objective of the survey is not only to access ground development but also to capture the efforts made by the respective cities which will be reflective in their ranking,” said an official in the ministry of urban development, who did not want to be named.
The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched to ensure cleanliness and to rid the country of open defecation by 2019, but has failed to garner the kind of public interest the government envisaged.
The rankings would be an evaluation of progress made in the areas of their strategy for an open defecation-free town and integrated solid waste management. The cities will also be ranked on information, education and behaviour change communication activity, sweeping, door-to-door collection of waste, transportation, processing and disposal of solid waste. Provision of public as well as community toilets and construction of individual household toilets will also be key factors.
A similar survey conducted in 2014 did not include the parameters of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Though 75 cities were initially chosen for the survey, Kolkata and Noida opted out due to lack of preparedness.
“Through a participatory survey, these rankings will bring competition into the mission. It will also help the government access the good practices being followed by certain urban local bodies and show which cities are lagging behind,” the official said.
