Latest news with #SwachhSurvekshan2023
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nagpur up 5 spots in swachh ranking after NMC's appeal
Nagpur: The city's ranking in the Swachh Bharat Survekshan improved following an appeal by the civic body. The Union ministry of housing and urban affairs has now placed Nagpur at rank 22A (out of 40), up from its earlier position of 27. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The revised ranking was confirmed on its national dashboard, with municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari sharing the update on Wednesday. Nagpur's state ranking also saw a rise — from 29 to 25A out of 414 urban local bodies in Maharashtra. The city's overall score now stands at 9,836 out of 12,500, up from the previous 9,328, additional municipal commissioner Vasumana Pant told TOI. To a query, Pant explained that since Nashik already held the 22nd rank, Nagpur has been assigned 22A to reflect its equal standing. As a result, the 27th position in the national ranking list now remains vacant, the Swachh Survekshan results website stated. The improvement followed NMC's detailed representation under the guidance of Chaudhari, pointing out discrepancies in the initial assessment. "We highlighted major mismatches in legacy data related to daily waste collection and vehicle tracking over the past three years. After verification, a fresh site visit was conducted, and our claims were accepted," said Pant. Key metrics show substantial progress. Door-to-door waste collection surged from 30% to 90%, while segregation at source improved dramatically from 1% to 60%. However, waste processing, which was earlier marked at 100%, was revised to 60% following a stricter re-evaluation. The city has now also earned one star under the Garbage-Free City (GFC) certification — a benchmark it failed to achieve earlier this year. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Nagpur's score was already contentious. About 30% in door-to-door collection and 1% at source segregation were surprising. The scores in these two parameters increased to 90% and 60%, which gave us 500 in GFC certification were we had earlier scored zero," Kaustav Chatterjee, Swachhata ambassador said. The earlier ranking sparked sharp criticism from citizens and within the civic administration, where officials admitted that weak inter-departmental coordination and poor documentation hampered performance. The latest recognition reflects growing momentum in the city's cleanliness efforts. Even in Swachh Survekshan 2023, Nagpur was placed 86th among 400 cities with a population above one lakh. The NMC objected to this categorisation, insisting that Nagpur should have been evaluated in the million-plus category. Major recent initiatives include the 'Swachhata Hi Seva' campaign, Backlane Cleanliness Drive, compressed biogas facility, C&D waste plant, and biomining project at Bhandewadi. Citizen-led programs like 'One Date, One Hour', Swachh Mohalla, Clean Market initiatives, Eco Bricks, and awareness campaigns in schools have further boosted community participation. In a statement, Chaudhari said Nagpur's progress was acknowledged in a recent central govt report for its participatory initiatives. He added that NMC now aims to push for a Top 10 rank in upcoming surveys by intensifying cleanliness efforts across all zones.
Indian Express
17-07-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Super swachh league shines spotlight on City of Diamonds
As the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards were announced on Thursday, they brought special laurels to Surat, known to be a hub of diamonds and textiles, as it was moved to a new 'super swachh league'. At an event held in New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the award to Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) for its outstanding work in sanitation. The President felicitated Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel, SMC Mayor Dakshesh Mavani, and Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal by presenting them with a certificate and a shield. Sources in SMC said that as 'the cleanest city in India', Surat has delivered an excellent performance in the league. Under the guidelines of Swachh Survekshan 2024, this new category was introduced to inspire other cities and holds a greater significance than the traditional ranking system. In Swachh Survekshan 2023, Surat had jointly secured the first position along with Indore. In the 2021 and 2022 editions, Surat had achieved second place. The Super Swachh League includes cities that have been ranked in the top three slots at least twice in the last three surveys. In this category, 12 cities across the country were selected and divided into five categories based on population. In the category of towns with a population of over 10 lakh, Surat has secured the highest position in the Super Swachh League, said SMC sources. With a significant presence of migrants, Surat has an estimated population of over 82.32 lakh. The work of SMC was assessed by the teams of Swachh Survekshan over the job done in different segments such as Source Segregation, door-to-door waste collection, waste-to-compost plant, RDF plant, plastic-waste processing unit, biomedical waste processing units, sanitary landfill, tertiary treatment plant etc.
The Hindu
29-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Tiruchi Corporation plans to involve SHGs and NGOs in renovation and upkeep of public toilets
The Tiruchi Corporation has taken steps to redevelop the public and community toilets in the city, with plans to engage self-help groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to maintain the facilities to improve sanitation and hygiene. The Corporation has more than 320 public and community toilets in the city. The maintenance of about 20 toilets has been outsourced to NGOs. Despite being certified as an ODF++ (open defecation-free) city in the national-level cleanliness survey, Swachh Survekshan 2023, Tiruchi Corporation faced criticism for the poor upkeep of toilets. As a solution, it has planned to rope in self-help groups and appoint Corporation workers to maintain the facilities. More NGOs are to be roped in to operate and maintain the public toilets in key areas, a senior official said. Work on improving the infrastructure and maintenance of public toilets in the city has been taken up. Reconstruction of the toilets at Pattedar Street in Ariyamangalam at ₹8.80 lakh and maintenance and repair work at Kulathumedu at ₹2.65 lakh had been initiated by the civic body. Setting up borewells with water tanks to ensure round-the-clock water supply, and replacing the damaged urinals and washbasins in the sanitation complexes are being carried out. Renovation work had been initiated at prime locations such as Gandhi Market, Central and Chathiram bus stands. Workers are appointed to monitor to prevent damage to the toilets, especially at night and officials were asked to oversee the maintenance of public toilets at bus stands, by cleaning and disinfecting them regularly. High-pressure washer Meanwhile, a high-pressure washer is being used to clean public and community toilets in Zone IV. The portable unit with a handgun will spray water and cleaning liquid at high pressure to remove stains and dirt, which is effective compared to manual cleaning. It is said that these portable machines were used to clean more than 10 toilets a day. Similar machines were to be procured to clean public toilets in other zones.
Time of India
04-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Garbage Sullies Every Corner of Pune, Say Citizens
Keeping a city clean is as much a duty of citizens as it is of the civic administration. While the Pune Municipal Corporation ( PMC ) has been fairly active in picking up waste and spreading awareness, citizen apathy and lack of care continues to ensure that our streets remain littered. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Residents across neighbourhoods attested to the fact that PMC and SWaCH staffers collect garbage strewn on the roadside everyday, but the dump almost always returns. Pune city ranked the 10th cleanest city in the Swachh Survekshan 2023, 10 positions higher than its 2022 ranking. Despite this remarkable climb, a quick look across your neighbourhood will show that garbage has taken over every nook and corner. There seems to be no care or concern for the no littering or dumping waste rules. Kothrud resident Makarand Shete said, "While there has been some improvement in the waste situation of the city, whether it justified a 10 position climb in the ranking is questionable. Walking next to the Kothrud garbage depot is a nightmare, due to open handling of waste and smell. Waste segregation, reduction in waste generation and home composting can help to improve the situation." Some citizens believe that their areas have improved a great deal and working alongside officials is the only way to bring about effective and lasting change. "I can see visible change in Wanowrie as our chronic spots have reduced. Even when citizens dump their waste, PMC officials have been swift in cleaning it up," secretary of National Society For Clean Cities Maithili Manakwad told TOI. The Swachh Survekshan 2024 includes citizen feedback as a major component in the scoring process, with additional marks being allocated for participation. Points are also given for source segregation, waste collection and processing, reuse of recycled or treated waste, legacy waste remediation and safaimitra suraksha (worker safety). Tired of too many ads? go ad free now AUNDH-BANER WARD #65 total chronic spots identified within the ward limits #11 chronic spots that continue to exist #54 chronic spots claimed to have been cleaned and beautified Bopodi Same Story Every Morning Travel through Bhau Patil Road any time of the day and you will find a huge pile of garbage taking over half the carriageway width. This dump is cleared every morning by PMC staff, who segregate the waste before taking what they can. Residents of the slum located opposite this dumping spot dispose of their waste, dry and wet combined, at night. A majority of this trash also takes up the footpath, making it a nightmare for pedestrians Citizen Says Despite crores of rupees being spent on Pune's Smart City project, areas like Bhau Patil Road and Aundh Road remain plagued by garbage dumping and unhygienic conditions. Residents are forced to endure foul odour and swarms of flies, while authorities struggle to enforce fines. Efforts to address the issue with the health department and ward office yielded no solutions. Strict waste management enforcement, surveillance cameras and awareness campaigns are essential to restore cleanliness — Anne Anish | Corporate Trainer Baner Pashan Link Road Waste Burning Is A Menace Chronic garbage dumping and burning spots are a common sight along Baner Pashan Link Road and its adjoining areas. According to the residents, these spots have been systematically created by contractors who pick up waste from multiple locations, including residential and commercial buildings, hotels and tapris. The collected waste is then dumped on service roads and other open plots where there is no security and burnt every few days. The constant burning causes several challenges for the residents as the environment is already dust-heavy due to constant construction work There is one very important contributor to garbage burning, which is biomass in the form of leaves twigs and branches, which are not collected by PMC from residential or commercial buildings. PMC charges for collection, but the entire process is flawed and time consuming therefore most biomass is dumped and burnt — Ravindra Sinha | Member, Baner Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust Official Says We are doing our best to manage the waste in the ward limits. There is some help from the Adar Poonawala team as well. Maintaining vigilance at night, which is when the garbage gets dumped in Bopodi, as well as along the service roads and other spots on Baner Pashan Link Road, is a challenge — Girish Dapkekar | Asst Municipal Commissioner, Aundh-Baner Ward Office KARVENAGAR-WARJE WARD #45 total chronic spots within the Warje-Karvenagar ward limits #38 of these spots have been shut, of which seven have been beautified Unmindful Dumping By Commuters Is Blocking Drains While SWaCH and PMC staffers are employed to clear the area falling within the limits of the Warje-Karvenagar ward office, dumping of trash, especially by commuters plying through the area, is high. A lot of the trash is also thrown into the nullahs, which does not get cleaned as often as the roadside, residents claimed. This trash then prevents flow of water, making it stagnant and a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes Citizen Says The civic body should install CCTV cameras across the city to nab those polluting the streets. They must undertake this initiative in collaboration with RTO to identify even those citizens who simply fling trash from their vehicles. If those dumping the garbage cannot be identified, the fines can be attached to their number plate — Nishad Sevekari | Resident of Warje Official Says We have decided to have vehicles parked at select locations so that people can throw their waste directly into the van, instead of on the roadside. We cannot keep staffers at the spot round the clock, but when there is someone, they also talk to those dumping waste to understand why they are doing so, in an effort to resolve their issue — Deepak Raut | HOD, Karvenagar-Warje Ward Office DHOLE PATIL ROAD WARD #24 total chronic spots under limits of the Dhole Patil Road ward office #19 spots have been cleared, five still exist #1 previously known chronic spot has been beautified Unsegregated Trash Creates A Stink Along with a few chronic spots, garden waste lying around on street corners is a common sight, especially in Koregaon Park. On Dhole Patil Road, however, waste is largely mixed, which is a result of the innumerable hawkers and roadside eateries in the area. Residents said greater awareness and initiative from citizens will go a long way in resolving their garbage woes Citizen Says PMC staff is very cooperative as far as waste collection is concerned. However, they must be reminded and chronic spots need to be brought to their attention time and again. What is missing is a proactive approach, which is why we see garbage everywhere — Manoj Phulphagar | Resident, Koregaon Park Official Says We cleared quite a few chronic spots that fall within the Dhole Patil Road ward's jurisdiction. We are also working on creating more awareness by talking to citizens and establishments in the area. The waste that gets thrown here is mostly mixed. Those who litter are fined when caught in the act — Tulshiram Sabale | Senior Health inspector, Dhole Patil Road Ward Office NAGAR ROAD-WADGAON SHERI WARD #131 total chronic spots identified by PMC #37 chronic spots continue to exist #94 spots claimed to have been cleaned and beautified Eateries And Vendors Add To EyeSores According to residents, eateries and roadside vendors are largely to be blamed for the garbage situation in Vimananagar and other nearby areas like Lohegaon and Wadgaonsheri. While some locations have become chronic dumping spots because they are close to eateries, others like the one near Mhada colony are used by staffers to segregate waste and so many citizens choose to dump their waste there Citizen Says PMC officials actually do a good job in the area, are responsive and come to clean spots when called. However, there needs to be more vigilance from their end to put a stop to the practice of dumping. Once people are fined, they will automatically think twice before dumping their waste — Raja Subramani | IT Professional Official Says We are regularly picking up garbage from Vimannagar. When our staffers notice someone dumping waste, they have been instructed to stop them, talk to them and tell them why they must not indulge in such practices. The staff also make them aware of the fines — Sanjay Pol | Deputy Engineer & HOD, Nagar Road-Wadgaon Sheri Ward Office Additional Data #928 are the total number of chronic spots across Pune Municipal Corporation limits. Of these, the highest, 153, have been identified in Hadapsar-Mundhwa ward limits and lowest, four, under the Kothrud-Bavdhan ward limits. Of the 928 chronic spots, PMC data shows that 186 continue to exist and 742 have been cleared. A total of 237 previously-known chronic spots have been beautified #5,743 is the total count of permanent staff on PMC payroll with the solid waste department. A total of 908 of the 5,743 are deployed under the Kasba-Vishrambaugwada ward office. The lowest number of permanent staffers, 171, are under the Wanowrie-Ramtekdi ward office #4,855 is the total number of contract employees in the department. The highest, 722, are deployed in the jurisdiction of the Nagar Road-Wadgaon Sheri ward office. Bhavani Peth ward office has 0 contract staffers PMC Solid Waste Department HOD Says: We have begun cleaning chronic garbage spots across PMC limits and have even started beautification in a bid to prevent citizens from throwing their trash there. A total of 237 spots have been beautified as of March 31. Our efforts to minimise roadside dumping are on. We have deployed staff at some locations to catch those dumping waste and not only to make them more aware, but also fine them if necessary — Sandeep Kadam | Deputy Commissioner (Solid Waste Management Department), PMC
