HYDERABAD: The presence of a large number of Garbage Vulnerable Points (GVPs) across Hyderabad could impact the city’s ranking in the Swachh Survekshan 2024 Survey.
The Swachh Survekshan, conducted under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), evaluates cities based on their cleanliness. Cities with no GVPs receive a valuable 100 marks. However, with over 1,500 GVPs, Hyderabad faces a significant challenge, as these spots are a major negative factor in cleanliness assessments.
GVPs are areas where garbage frequently accumulates, leading to unhygienic conditions and thereby harming the city’s overall cleanliness. Under SBM guidelines, GVPs are a critical criterion in the survey, and cities with visible GVPs lose points.
In response to this growing problem, GHMC is now planning to introduce Smart Bins at chronic garbage-dumping locations. GHMC Commissioner K Ilambarithi has identified the removal of dumper bins as a key reason for the worsening garbage situation.
GHMC to install Smart Bins to address garbage problem
To address this, GHMC is reinstalling bins-this time as Smart Bins equipped with sensors that relay fill status to a centralized control room. A daily route map will be generated for garbage trucks to collect waste from bins nearing capacity. Around 800 Smart Bins will be installed in areas not covered by SATs. While SBM promotes underground bins, space constraints in Hyderabad have led to the adoption of this smart solution.
To promote a bin-free city, GHMC removed dumper bins in 2016 and introduced door-to-door garbage collection using Swachh Auto Trolleys (SATs). However, many citizens avoid using SATs to evade the monthly user fee, instead dumping waste on roads, leading to the formation of GVPs. This practice has drawn public criticism, as garbage heaps are frequently seen along roadsides, diminishing the city’s cleanliness.
In the 2023 Swachh Survekshan rankings, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) was ranked ninth and received a national award by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), achieving a 5-star rating in the Garbage Free Cities Protocol in SS-2023. However, the persistence of GVPs remains a challenge.
1,500 GVPs pose challenge
GHMC secured 9th rank in the 2023 Swachh Survekshan ranking
Received national award from Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, achieving a 5-star rating in the Garbage Free Cities Protocol in SS-2023