Swachh Survekshan: The Government’s Annual Cleanliness Report Card

It’s been more than 2 years since the Government of India flagged off its Swachh India mission, and it is that time of the year again. About 500 cities across India are being evaluated as part of this year’s Swachh Survekshan, or cleanliness survey. More than 200 assessors from the specially set up Quality Council of India (QCI) will be surveying our towns and cities on the basis of cleanliness and sanitation.

Also Read: Surveying Cleanliness: 10 Things To Know About Swachh Survekshan

Until now, 177 cities across 19 states have been evaluated and the survey is currently in the 5th and the 6th phase where cities like Jammu in Jammu and Kashmir, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and Bettiah, Saharsa and Gaya in Bihar, Delhi and Bhilai and Durg in Chhattisgarh are being reviewed.

Also Read: Corruption In Swachh Survekshan: Survey Assessors Caught Accepting Bribes In Aurangabad 

Unlike the last editions, this year’s Swachh Survekshan has given weightage to what citizens feel, with citizens feedback making up almost one third of the points given.

More than 1,30,000 citizens have already provided their Swachhta feedback until now, with about 87,000 having sent their feedback over the phone.

On Ground Inspection Report

So while Swachh India authorities have been updating citizens about the survey on social media, the actual results will only be out later this year. So far, 44 functional waste-to-compost plants and more than 1200 community and public toilets have been inspected. Cities are being evaluated on their performance in the areas of waste collection and sweeping, the processing and disposal of municipal solid waste (MSW), construction of toilets and the prevalence of open defecation.

Here’s a look at what is happening on the ground currently as well as a recap of some of the key findings from Swachh Survekshan 2016.

1. Meerut in Uttar Pradesh: Meerut was given a section rank of 69, and categorized as a slow mover last year.

The areas where the city lost out were in achieving an Open Defecation Free town (ODF) and integrated Solid Waste Management (SWM).

2. Sirsa in Haryana: Sirsa was declared an Open Defecation Free district recently by Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

The 2016 survey had only covered two cities from Haryana – Gurugram and Faridabad. This year, the scope of the survey was extended to Gurugram, Panipat, Sirsa, Panchkula and Yamuna Nagar to name a few.

3. Mysuru in Karnataka: In Swachh Survekshan-2016, Mysuru emerged as the country’s cleanest city again after winning the same title in the nationwide held Swachh Survey in 2015. The city of palaces was ranked on two Swachh Bharat parameters – reduction of open defecation and solid waste management.

4. Guwahati in Assam: With a rank of 50, Guwahati was put in the ‘Acceleration Required’ category last year. This year, assessors have surveyed areas like railway junction, open spaces, landfills, waste treatment plant, public toilets and vegetable markets.

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5. Ranchi in Jharkhand: During Swachh Survekshan-2016, Ranchi was put in ‘Slow Movers’ category with rank of 62.

6. Vasai-Virar in Maharashtra: The areas of Vasai and Virar near Mumbai were categorized as ‘Aspiring Leaders’ during Swachh Survekshan-2016. According to the feedback from citizens last year, only 23% answered ‘yes’ when asked if the city always had dustbins.

7. Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh: Aligarh led 500 cities in undertaking Swachh awareness generation activities under the Swachh Survekshan-2017. During the evaluation of IEC (Information, Education and Communication) activities by the Ministry, Aligarh scored the maximum marks.
Apart from checking different locations in the city, assessors also interacted with citizens & shopkeepers for independent validation.

8. Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu: During Swachh Survekshan-2016, the city was ranked 18 under the category of ‘Aspiring Leaders.’ The city was also certified as being Open Defecation Free (ODF).

9. Morena In Madhya Pradesh: Several areas in Morena, a district in Madhya Pradesh have been surveyed under the ongoing Swacch Survekshan.

Last year, during Swacch Survekshan 2016, cities like Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur were reviewed.

10. Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh: Last year, the city was ranked under the category of ‘Leaders’ and was at the sweet spot of 5.

During the ongoing survey, the city has set an example by modernizing 55 community toilets by retrofitting.

Also Read: And The City With The Smelliest Toilets In India Is