Kochi: For the fourth consecutive year, Kochi had a very poor performance in the national level Swachh Bharath Survekshan - 2019 conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Among the 4237 cities contested in the survey, Kochi is on 409th position. Among the eight cities considered for the ranking from Kerala, Kochi is on seventh position.
When the Modi government initiated the Swachh Bharath Miss-ion sanitation ranking for the first time in 2014 - 15, Kochi could achieve the 4th rank at national level which nosedived to 55th position in 2015-16. Later in the 2016- 17 survey Kochi’s position again slipped to 271 which now further dipped to a disgracing 409 this time.
The ranking is based on the performance of the civic administrations in different categories related to waste management, open defecation free status and citizen feedback.
The survey was conducted from January 4 to 31 in each city during which the Central team assessed the facilities and cleanliness standards.
“The Corporation could not focus on improving the status in the categories considered by the Union ministry for the ranking process. Since the Nat-ional Green Tribunal’s visit to Brahmapuram solid waste treatment plant was scheduled, the civic administration’s focus shifted to improving the facilities at the plant. Hence, the city has poor performance in national cleanliness index,” said V.K Minimol, former health committee chairperson.
“Last year, though the Corporation took maximum efforts to improve its ranking, delay in getting open defecation free status adversely impacted the city’s performance,” added Minimol.
