EMN
Dimapur, October 30
The capital of Nagaland, Kohima town, is infamous for bringing the gift of rain always invariably accompanied by thick waves of nose-shriveling stench from septic tanks and latrines.
Now, the capital town has been named among 75 major cities and state capitals in the country to be rated for sanitation and solid waste management by the Ministry of Urban Development as a part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The selected 75 cities, including those from the northeast region states, will be rated by the Swachh Bharat Sanitation Survey, information made available by the ministry on Friday, October 30, said.
The Ministry of Urban Development has commissioned a survey of “sanitation scenario” in 75 major cities including 53 areas that have populations of more than 10 lakh each. This is the first such survey since the launch of the nationwide sanitation campaign, Swachh Bharat Mission, in October 2014.
The parameters of the survey have been aligned with the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission with more focus on solid waste management–waste being an adverse factor to cleanliness in the urban areas,
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% of country’s total urban population, solid waste management is being given 60% “weightage” followed by 15% each for availability and use of household individual toilets and public and community toilets besides 5% each for city level sanitation plans and Information, Education and Behavior Change Communication (IEBC) activities. Under Swachh Bharat Mission, about Rs.37, 000 crore of the project cost of Rs.62, 009 crore is to be incurred for solid waste management.
In the last survey ranking 476 cities, each with a population of above one lakh, which was commissioned before the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission across the country, solid waste management showed only 13% ‘weightage.’
Swachh Bharat Mission aims 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, it envisages construction of one crore household individual toilets and over five lakh public and community toilet seats.
Municipal commissioners and other officials of the 75 selected cities were briefed in detail yesterday, Thursday, by Pravin Prakash, Joint Secretary and Mission Director of Swachh Bharat Mission, in Delhi.
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 the city-level sanitation plans and technology-based systems.
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.
Among the 75 cities, the northeast region states to be rated by the Swachh Bharat Sanitation Survey are:
Arunachal Pradesh: Itanagar
Assam: Guwahati
Manipur: Imphal
Meghalaya: Shillong
Mizoram: Aizawl
Nagaland: Kohima
Sikkim: Gangtok
