Tiruchi city, which faced a tough competition from leading cities to retain the top ranking this year, has once again hogged the limelight by notching up national-level third position in the Swach Bharat ranking (Best Clean City ranking).
Although it has lost the second position to Chandigarh by a point, Tiruchi is the clear winner among four other major cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai in the State, bringing cheer to the residents and officials of Tiruchi City Corporation. Coimbatore has managed to capture 18{+t}{+h}rank, an improvement of three positions from the last year, with the total score of 1,361.
Tiruchi was among 75 major cities, including 53 cities with a population of above 10 lakh and the State capitals, surveyed by the Quality Council of India (QCI) to review the sanitation and hygiene conditions.
As per the Swach Bharat ranking list, which was released by the QCI on Monday, Tiruchi has secured 1,715 score out of 2,000. The difference between Mysuru, which has once again adjusted as best clean city in the country, and Tiruchi is 34 points.
Officials attributed to the concerted efforts to improve the overall performance on solid waste management, community participation, household toilet coverage, community toilets, and hygiene in thickly crowded areas including bus stands.
The city has scored well on drinking water coverage, community participation in garbage collection, control of communicable and water-born diseases, public toilet coverage in floating populated areas, efforts to minimise open defecation, public behaviour and coverage of community toilets in slums.
M. Vijayalakshmi, Commissioner, Tiruchirapalli City Corporation, told The Hindu that the team efforts had once again brought laurel to the city and the State. It had done well on all aspects of sanitation and hygiene management. Though the officials, elected representatives, and field staff members, with the support of residents, worked hard to secure the top slot, it had narrowly missed. However, the results would be a boost to improve its services further to the people.
S. Damodaran, founder, Gramalaya, said that although there was a need to improve community toilets in some unauthorised slums, the city had good infrastructure to minimise open defecation. It had 211 sanitary complexes in authorised slums. As many as 160 sanitary complexes were maintained by self-help members based on pay-and-use system.
Many had been generating good revenue. Moreover, it had effectively controlled open defecation.
