Tiruchi makes State proud
A ‘mixed result’ is how you could term the Swach Bharat rankings for
Tamil Nadu. While Tiruchi finished second nationally, the two most
urbanised cities in the State — Chennai and Coimbatore — fared poorly,
occupying ranks 61 and 169 respectively.
Lessons emerging from the rankings, released by the Union Urban
Development Ministry (UUDM), could be crucial for future policy
directions. Both Tiruchi and Madurai, the two best performing cities in
Tamil Nadu on the sanitation indicator, seems to have followed a vibrant
collectivist model, where the civil society, through NGOs and
residential associations, had been roped in to contribute to the Swach
Bharat drive.
The Swach Bharat mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in
October 2014 to improve access to sanitation facilities and focus on
cleanliness. The survey used number of parameters to assess the
performance of 476 class-I cities, like extent of open defecation, solid
waste management, septage management, waste water treatment, drinking
water quality, surface water quality of water bodies and mortality due
to water borne diseases etc.
According to UUDM website, Tamil Nadu was sanctioned as first instalment funds to the tune of about Rs. 118 crore.
Chennai ranked 12 in the list of State capitals and 61 nationally.
Corporation officials say decision making delay on the technology to be
used for solid waste management continues to affect civic conditions.
The civic body is planning to speed up specific interventions and has
started construction of new public toilets, though the target of 19,000
such units would be reached only after funds are released under the
mission.
Also, the delay in decision making on source segregation and remediation
had also been affecting dumpyards in Perungudi and Kodungaiyur. Release
of funds under the mission was expected to offer rehabilitation schemes
for manual scavengers also, an official said.
Tiruchi, which emerged all-India second, attributed the performance to
“community participation”. M. Vijayalakshmi, Commissioner, Tiruchi City
Corporation, told The Hindu that cooperation of people, community
participation, concerted efforts of officials and elected
representatives had made it possible for the city to secure the high
ranking. Records suggest not one of the 286 slum areas in the city lack
public toilets, which have reduced the habit of open defecation. Of the
78 sanitary complexes, 33 are operated and maintained by Self Help
Groups and NGOs, underlining the improvement in service driven by the
civil society.
In Madurai, while the resident welfare associations organised awareness
programmes on garbage segregation in their localities, clean-up
activities were carried out by youth forums at the Meenakshi Temple,
Vaigai river bed, Teppakulam and other places of historical importance.
Madurai Corporation Commissioner C. Kathiravan said the city, which has
100 wards, had a sanitary inspector in every ward. Regular monitoring
helps swift garbage removal.
On the other hand, for a city that has spent around Rs. 100 crore on
solid waste management and prided itself on implementing projects like
the zero-waste management system, the ranking has come as shocker to
Coimbatore, say Corporation sources.
But the truth is that they are not surprised. The second and tertiary
processing of waste is in a mess and the mound of mixed garbage in
Vellalore is the proof. The primary collection is only now improving,
thanks to some initiatives like the Clean Cities Championship, the
sources say.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Tiruchirapalli/tiruchi-makes-state-proud/article7517822.ece?ref=tpnews
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