MYSURU: Though a large number of
Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) from the
South Karnataka region participated in the
Swachh Survekshan 2018, none of them secured top ranks in various categories of this initiative.
Only the
Mysuru City Corporation was able to secure top rank among the medium-sized cities.
Hunasur town was able to secure the best city award in solid waste management in South India (population lesser than 1 lakh).
According to the final data released by the Swachh Survekshan Abhiyan 2018, central observers had visited eight city municipal councils, including
Hassan and
Chamarajanagar, 19 town municipal councils and 19 town panchayats in South Karnataka. Among them, only two cities i.e. Mysuru and Hunasur made their mark in two categories. The list of winning cities was declared on May 16.
At Hunasur, the local municipal council started preparations for the competition a year ago. Municipal commissioner S Shivappa Nayaka said: “We followed all the scientific measures suggested by the central government which ensured us an award.”
Many feel that poor awareness drive is the major reason for the dismal performance of the rest of the cities and towns in the region.
According to Dilip Kumar, a resident of Chikkamagaluru, even though all the ULBs were allocated special funds for the
Swachh Bharat initiative, in reality, they failed to perform during the survey. “There are allegations of misuse of the Swachh Bharat funds in many places. Unless concerned authorities create awareness and general public show interest, it is not possible to achieve good ranking,” he said.
An officer from the state urban development department told TOI that in most of the ULBs several initiatives, including awareness schemes, were launched and the central observers had visited. “We can expect a lot of improvements in the coming years,” he said.
