Mysuru/Mysore: A seven-member Direct Observation Team (independent assessors) has arrived in the city and has started their survey to rank Mysuru among cities that are cleanest. The exercise is part of Swachh Survekshan 2020 initiated by the Union Urban Development Ministry. 

The team has already begun surveying different parts of the city and is collecting physical and photographic evidence. The direct observation by independent assessors carries 25 percentage weightage or 1,500 marks out of 6,000 in the total assessment. 

Speaking to Star of Mysore, MCC Health Officer Dr. D.G. Nagaraju said that the team is visiting all the 65 Wards to assess cleanliness, garbage clearance, door-to-door garbage collection.

Segregation and solid and wet waste management will also be considered, Dr. Nagaraj added. The team is recording evidence and are uploading the same on the Swachh Survekshan App and the final assessors will grade the city based on certain parameters. 

Slums, public toilets, buildings, underground drainage system, markets, waste disposal units and other crucial areas that determine a city’s cleanliness will be examined and evidence will be collected regarding open defecation, sanitation and garbage disposal. Manu, Siddaraju, Shwetha, Nagendra, Rajesh, Shiva Kumar and Chandru are the team members. 

The team will evaluate the city for nine indicators including cleanliness in residential and commercial areas, cleanliness and usability of community toilets, cleanliness of markets, cleanliness of transport hubs including rail-way stations, visible beautification of slums, flyovers and public places art work carrying messages of Swachh Survekshan and display of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan posters in public toilets. 

The team will also look for measures undertaken to reduce the level of dust in the air, prevalence of potholes and plants and trees alongside roads along with encroachments on storm water drains and water bodies.