CHENNAI : Chennai has climbed 39 spots to secure the 61st spot in the Swachh Survekshan rankings released by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, on Wednesday. However, Tiruchy and Coimbatore which had been ranked the 13th and 16th cleanest cities, have slipped to the 39th and 40th place. The Swachh Survekshan rankings are released every year and judge cities based on source segregation, door-to-door collection of solid waste, construction of individual household latrines, etc. Chennai secured a total of 3,118 points out of 5000 as opposed to 2,586 points it scored in the previous rankings.
Officials in the Chennai Corporation, attribute this spike in rankings to the improvements in source segregation and redressal of complaints registered on the Swachhata App. The linking of the Swachchhata App and the Namma Chennai App, improving redressal time and favourable citizen feedback, has also helped improve the city’s cleanliness rankings.
“We have completed our target of building 6636 individual household latrines ahead of schedule. This has helped us in the rankings,” said a senior Swachh Bharat official. However, the newly appointed Chennai Corporation Commissioner, Prakash Govindasami is not content with the 39-place-jump. “I am not content with the rankings. Chennai is among the four metropolises and yet, it is only at the 61st spot. We will step up our source segregation and door-to-door collection,” Prakash said, explaining how all waste collection tricycles are going to be replaced with battery operated vehicles.
“Conservancy workers are the face of the Corporation and we have seen the difficulties they face when it comes pushing tricycles carrying 300-400 kg of waste,” Prakash said, claiming that 450 battery operated vehicles are going to be introduced in the first phase.
In addition to improving existing waste management facilities such as micro compost pits, the Chennai Corporation is also planning to introduce new methods such as ‘upcycling’ of waste. Through this, the corporation will reduce the amount of waste which goes to landfill and also partner with corporates to give a new life to waste through innovative methods, while letting conservancy workers reap the benefits.