Hyderabad needs ‘better’ brooms: City slips to 35th spot in Swachh ranks

HYDERABAD: The city slipped to the 35th spot among 100 cities in the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan Rankings. The list, ranking the cleanest cities of the country based on a range of heads was published on Wednesday. Hyderabad was at the 27th spot in the Swachh list of 2018.



4,237 cities were assessed this year in the Swachh Survekshan surveys and Hyderabad competed against cities with a population of more than one lakh. Sources in Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) said that out of the 4,237 cities around 40% are cities with population of more than one lakh.

GHMC was awarded as the best capital city in Solid Waste Management (SWM) category previous year but the civic body did not bag even one national level award pertaining to sanitation this year. India's cleanest city, best small city in ‘innovation, best practices’, cleanest state capital or union territory and best big city in solid waste management are some of the award categories .

This year cities were assessed for a total 5,000 marks and Hyderabad secured 3,455 marks. The total marks were divided into four sections weighing 1,250 each.

GHMC scored the least in certification section. In certification category, star rating of garbage free cities and open defecation free protocols are assessed. GHMC secured 600 out of 1,250 in this. GHMC claimed itself to be five-star garbage-free city but the MoHUA ranked Hyderabad as a three-star city pertaining to sanitation standards. A seven-star is the ideal situation and one-star the lowest

Hyderabad also lost marks in service level progress but scored better in direct observation and the citizen feedback categories. In service level progress, the city scored 802 out of 1,250.

In direct observation category, GHMC got 1,117 marks out of 1,250. As a part of direct obesrvation, MOHUA officials visit residential and commercial areas, markets, hotels, banquet halls, railway stations, bus stations, airports and inspect them manually. In citizen feedback category, city secured 936 marks. As part of citizen feedback, Swachh Bharat Mission officials randomly ask people about the city's sanitation. Officials also called people and took feedback.