The real test for the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) is here, with the three-day ‘Swachh Sarvekshan’ that assesses the city’s position under the Swachh Bharat Mission beginning on Wednesday.
The Swachh rankings for the year will be based on the outcome of the survey, and the MCC has left no stone unturned to ensure Mysuru retains the ‘cleanest city’ tag for the third year in a row. Commissioner G. Jagadeesha expressed confidence in the city’s chances and said they have complied with the parameters laid down for this year.
Three persons from the Quality Council of India (QCI) arrived at the MCC office to begin the survey on Wednesday. The team consists of Assistant Manager Kotresh, Field Inspector M. Chaitanya and Surveyor Saravana Kumar. Mayor M.J. Ravi Kumar and Commissioner G. Jagadeesha welcomed them.
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Accompanied by MCC officials, two members of the team went around the city, inspecting various places listed under 11 categories. The third member began verifying the records maintained at the MCC office.
The first two members, accompanied by the commissioner, the mayor, and Health Officer Nagaraj, inspected Devaraja Market, public toilets near Sahakara Bhavan on Chamaraja Double Road, Vani Vilas Market, Lakshmipura and Chamarajapuram Railway Station, among other areas. They will continue the inspections on Thursday and Friday, and the inputs will be uploaded on the same day, Mr. Jagadeesha said. .
He added that documents on steps such as construction of plastic roads, public toilets, door-to-door collection of solid waste, zero waste management, compost production and so on were perused.
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He said the city has been divided into four zones and spots identified for visit under 11 categories. Details such as the number of staff engaged in cleanliness work, collection of waste, and number of vehicles used in handling solid waste management are being collected, he added.
Public opinion will be key
Public opinion on whether Mysuru deserves to retain the cleanest city tag for the third straight time is expected to play a crucial role during the Swachh Sarvekshan. The Centre has set aside 450 marks for public opinion to decide the ranking.
Mr. Jagadeesha said the contact numbers of more than 20,000 citizens have been provided to the team of Quality Control of India that is undertaking the survey. The team could randomly call the numbers to elicit public opinion on the various aspects listed under the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Members of the public can also call 1969 to register their views under the survey, he added.
The window of eliciting public opinion will be open till February 4. “I am confident that the efforts put in by the MCC will produce positive results. Let us hope for the best,” the Commissioner said.