Guest Column: City has systems in place, but couldn't provide documentation'

The fact that Bengaluru does not figure in the Swachh Survekshan of 2018, which is an assessment of the progress made in 2017 and awards the top three cleanest city of India besides other cities, both small and large, should be a wake-up call for the city. When other cities, including Mumbai, can make a mark , there is no reason why Bengaluru cannot.

The parameters of the Survekshan were strict. If documentary proof was not provided for validation of consistent functionality of the system or methodology involved, the cities were liable to get negative marking.

Survekshan is not a month long exercise but a year-long effort based on documentation. And the parameters of the survey have been well designed , taking into account the systems and methodologies in place in all three departments of solid waste management- collection, transportation and processing in a segregated format.

Although Bengaluru has systems in place in certain parts of the city, it was not able to prove this through documentation. For instance, the citizens’ engagement is only in certain pockets of the city, and not everywhere. This cost it in the direct assessment and in overall visible cleanliness. The city also took a beating in other parameters of the survey related to household and public toilets. I hope it gets a better star rating in the coming year.