Paper: GS – III, Subject: Economy, Topic: Economy related- Acts, schemes, Policies, Indices, Issue: Findings from the Swachh Survekshan survey.
Context:
Implications of the 9th edition of Swachh Survekshan, a flagship cleanliness survey under Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM-Urban).
Key Highlights:
- Theme of 2024 Survey: The Theme of the survey “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR)” aligned with Vision 2025. It emphasized Waste-to-energy, Plastic recycling and Enterprise-led self-help models
- Significance of Survey: Over 4,500 cities participated in 2024, compared to less than 100 in 2016. It is based on 10 sanitation parameters, assessing urban local bodies (ULBs).
Emerging Trends:
- Rise of New Performers:
- Odisha’s cities like Bhubaneswar (34th rank), Aska, and Chikiti improved significantly.
- Mid-size cities such as Rourkela, Cuttack, Berhampur showed considerable progress.
- Southern Cities Lagging:
- Despite potential, cities in southern India still lag in national rankings.
- Bengaluru stands out as an exception due to inspirational practices.
- Top Performers:
- Delhi (NDMC), Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad showed exemplary sanitation implementation.
- Special Recognition:
- Tourist cities were evaluated for waste handling and sustainability. In this context, Prayagraj recognized for Ganga town sanitation and Kumbh Mela waste management.
Good waste management practices:
Challenges still persist:
- Unviability: Limited commercial viability in waste-to-energy projects.
- Growing waste generation: India already generates 1.5 lakh tonnes of waste daily which is set to increase further with growing consumption patterns.
Way ahead:
- Mentorship Model:
- Successful cities must mentor underperforming ones and promote replication of best practices.
- Citizen Participation:
- Though ODF status was achieved, deeper commitment against littering is still lacking. Promote Behavioural change to foster attitudinal change.
- Collaboration:
- Promote public-private collaboration through better incentives in areas such as local-level innovation, improved segregation, better collection and transport systems.
Conclusion:
The Swachh Survekshan offers critical feedback tool for sanitation governance. For sustained change, India must build inclusive, decentralized, and technology-driven waste ecosystems, with citizen participation at the core.
https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/takeaways-from-the-swachh-survekshan/article69846449.ece
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