Raipur and Durg in Chhattisgarh are among the 75 major cities and State capitals in the country to be rated for sanitation with focus on solid waste management.
The Union Ministry of Urban Development has commissioned a survey of sanitation scenario in 75 major cities including 53 with a population of above 10 lakhs each and State capitals, officials stated.
This is the first such survey since the launch of Swachchh Bharat Mission in October, 2014. The survey parameters have been aligned with the objectives of Swachchh Bharat Mission with more focus on solid waste management which is adversely impacting cleanliness in urban areas, as per the direction of Union Minister of Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu.
The proposed survey and subsequent ratings to be completed in January next year is aimed at fostering a spirit of competition among the major cities and state capitals in 29 states and Chandigarh to ensure sanitation in urban areas.
In the proposed survey for rating of 75 major cities accounting for over 50 per cent of country’s total urban population, solid waste management is being given 60 per cent weightage followed by 15 per cent each for availability and use of household individual toilets and public and community toilets besides 5 per cent each for city level sanitation plans and Information, Education and Behaviour Change Communication(IEBC) activities.
Under Swachh Bharat Mission, about Rs37,000 crore of the project cost of Rs62,009 crore is to be incurred on solid waste management.
In the last survey for ranking of 476 cities with a population of above one lakh each which was commissioned before the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission across the country, solid waste management had a weightage of only 13 per cent.
The Swachh Bharat Mission is aimed at ensuring door-to-door collection, transportation and scientific disposal of municipal solid waste in all the 83,000 wards in urban areas by 2019 besides construction of one crore household individual toilets and over five lakh public and community toilet seats.
Municipal Commissioners and other concerned officials of all the 75 selected cities were yesterday briefed in detail Pravin Prakash, Joint Secretary and Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission about the objectives and evaluation parameters of the sanitation survey.
Survey agencies will collect necessary data from urban local bodies besides through direct observation and citizen feedback through questionnaires. A minimum of 15 respondents have to be reached out in each ward for feedback. Under contractual obligation, survey agencies will have to furnish detailed documentation including photographs and video-clips of various places surveyed.
An illustrative account of evaluation parameters include formulation and making public of city level sanitation plans and technology based systems for citizen complaints about sanitation and their redressal feedback.
In respect of solid waste management, the parameters include: percentage of solid waste collected every day, its transportation, processing, recycling and re-use including conversion to compost and energy, scientific land filling, segregation of solid waste, availability of dustbins for general waste, collection and disposal of Construction and Destruction Waste, availability of Debris on Call service for C&D waste, levy of user charges, visibility of solid waste in open and public spaces etc.
In respect of individual and public and community toilets, the parameters include: gaps in demand and supply, gaps in mission targets and actual physical progress, extent of release of funds under Swachh Bharat Mission and utilization, waiting time for use of public toilets, availability of drainage system, notification of spot fines for open defecation/urination/littering etc.
Under IEBC, activities of Swachh Bharat Ambassadors, putting up of large hoardings, use of local cable network and bulk SMS, social media interventions, organizing awareness generation campaigns etc will be assessed.
