NEW DELHI/CHENNAI:The Ministry of Tourism has for the first time come up with a cleanliness index for 36 cities for 2015, based on a survey by a team with local and municipal officials and tourists.
Chennai’s score average on all individual parameters was considered for the Ministry of Tourism’s survey and it was placed in the blue category. Ironically, none of the 36 cities surveyed could reach the highest category of green.
VKT Balan, chairman of Travel Association of India, said poor solid waste disposal system followed by local civic bodies has resulted in garbage accumulation, bringing down tourist attraction eventually. Creating awareness and banning plastic in at least popular tourist spots in the city will help in improving Chennai’s score next year he added.
But what appeared as the lowest scoring criteria in all the cities was the cleanliness of public toilets.
Gangtok in Sikkim was declared the cleanest city with a score of 76 and Raipur in Chhattisgarh with a score of 36 stood last. Delhi emerged 7th in the study.
The cleanliness rating of Puducherry dipped drastically as it was among the lowest five cities on the index with a rank of 32. The UT was put in the black category with a low score of 52.
The study recommended that urgent action was necessary for cleanliness of public toilets, drinking water facilities, and eateries.