VIJAYAWADA: With citizen feedback being an important parameter for securing the top rank in the Swachh Survekshan, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has decided to reach out to all sections of public.
The Swachh survey is being conducted in over 4,000 cities across the country. As on Monday, 7,325 gave their feedback through Vote for Your City App, while 16,117 through SS2021 portal (OTP).
Civic officials said that as part of their plan, VMC has decided to highlight infrastructure projects undertaken by it, after securing the fifth position in the previous edition of the survey.
Among them, 25 CNG auto-rickshaws have been introduced to collect garbage from households. VMC Chief Medical Officer for Health (CMOH) Geetha Bai has called upon residents to extend their support for securing the top rank in the next edition of Swachh Survekshan. In the upcoming edition, the survey will be conducted for a total of 6,000 marks, unlike in 2020. In the 2021 ranking, service level progress (documentation of activities) category will be allotted 2,400 marks while there are 1,800 marks each for certification and citizen feedback.
Highlighting initiatives taken by the civic body, the Chief Medical Officer for Health said that as many as 750 display boards were installed in three Assembly constituencies of the city to sensitise the public on the cleanliness survey. Four-bin system has been implemented for segregating waste from households, apartments and group houses, 95 per cent of garbage has been segregated by dividing the city into micro pockets, fines are being collected from public dumping waste on roads and vacant plots.
So far, Rs 9.8 lakh fine has been collected from violators. Public toilets have been set up in 65 locations and 33 temporary toilets have been set up to prevent open defecation in the city, she informed. Geeta Bai said, “In the 2020 survey, Vijayawada secured fourth rank in the above 10 lakh population category. Efforts are being made to secure top rank in the next edition.
Residents can give feedback on the city’s performance on ‘www. swachh survekshan 2021.org’. An android application named ‘Swachhata’ App is also available for citizens to voice their problems on drinking water supply, garbage disposal, cleaning of public toilets, removing the carcasses of animals along with photographs.”