Mysuru: Swachh Survekshan-2018, as a prelude to encouraging cities to improve urban sanitation, began in the city from yesterday.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (now the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs), which had launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan on Oct. 2, 2014 (Gandhi Jayanthi day) had also as its aim to have a ‘Swachh Bharat’ by 2019. In the light of this, Swachh Survekshan was introduced and in 2014-15 and 2015-16, Mysuru had bagged the Cleanest City Award. However, in the last survey (2016-17), the city slipped to the fifth spot and thus its dream of a hat-trick lay shattered.

Taking this setback as a challenge, the Mysuru City Corporation is trying to address the drawbacks and seeking co-operation of all the people concerned to see that it regains the top spot. In all, there are 4,000 marks for the survey. Out of this if 2,600 marks are earmarked to the City Corporation and the remaining 1,400 marks is the responsibility of citizens.

The good news is that the city already has 400 marks for successfully downloading the Swachhata app by the citizens.  The remaining 1,000 marks have to come from the citizen’s feedback. The Swachh Survekshan began from yesterday. If the citizens give a missed call to toll free number 1969, they will get a call back immediately and if they answer all the six questions posed to them, then there is no doubt that it will go a long way in helping the city get back its top spot, said MCC officials.

A meeting was held in this regard in the Council Hall of the MCC yesterday. Mayor M.J. Ravikumar, MCC Commissioner G. Jagadeesha, Health Officer Dr. Nagaraju, former MLC D. Madegowda, Standing Committee Chairmen K.V. Mallesh and Mahadevappa, Corporator J.S. Jagadeesh and Mysore District Journalists Association President C.K. Mahendra lauded the efforts of those working hard to see that the Swachhata app was downloaded successfully by the majority of the people in city.

Apart from these people a few of them belonging to various NGOs including Srihari, Nagapathi, Srinath, Venkatesh and Madhukesh were also present.

Citizens can participate in the survey in three ways: They can give a missed call to toll free No. 1969 on their mobiles till March 10. The other option is to download ‘Swachhata app’ or visit  www.swachhsurvekshan2018.org.

 

‘Testing’ time: Questions, Answers and Marks

Here are the six questions for you to answer

Has your city participated in Swachh Survekshan 2018 rankings? If you reply ‘Yes’ it is 175 marks and, there is no marks for a ‘No’.

Is your surrounding area and your city cleaner than last time? If the answer is yes, it is very clean 175 marks, if you say it has improved significantly 135 marks, if you just say it has improved 90 marks and for little improvement 45 marks. But if the reply is nothing has improved, then it is zero marks.

Are the public using dustbins during the current year? If there are no complaints 150 marks, not too bad it has improved 70 marks, not much has improved 30 and no improvement zero marks.

Are you satisfied with the segregation of waste at homes? If you say no complaint 175 marks, condition has improved 90, no change 45 and it has failed, zero marks.

Has the number of public toilets gone up, open defecation come down? If yes 150, only a few toilets have come up 70, there is no change 30 and if the situation has worsened, zero marks.

Are the public and community toilets cleaner than last year? Yes, it is really clean 175, it has improved 135, not much has improved 90, there is no change 45 and it is very dirty, zero marks.

 

‘Failures have been corrected’

Last year’s failures have been corrected. The target of setting up the required number of toilets has been achieved. Nearly 26,000 people have downloaded the Swachhata app and used it, whereas the number required was 18,000. Six ultra-modern public toilets have been built. Out of the 79 toilets built, the feedback mechanism equipment has been installed in 25 public toilets at the construction stage itself. The survey began from today and it can be checked from Jan. 11. All the documents required for the Survekshan is ready. The garbage collection and clearance has been going on smoothly. We are likely to get 2,600 marks for this. Another 400 marks we will get by the public using the app. The remaining 1,000 marks are in the hands of the public. We are at the final stage and I seek everyone’s co-operation.”

— G. Jagadeesha, MCC Commissioner