Swachh Bharat rankings: Bhopal continues to be second best

Bhopal: Even as Bhopal has to settle as the second best cleanest city only to Indore in Swachh Bharat rankings, there was jubilation all across the city as it was a no mean feat as this time it grabbed the position defeating more than 4000 cities.

Last year the government’s cleanliness survey was conducted in 434 cities, but this time, Bhopal had to compete with 4203 cities across the country to retain its position. The union government’s results for the cleanliness survey for the current year were out on Wednesday. State ranking was introduced in this year’s survey, which was conducted between January 4 and March 10.

Mayor Alok Sharma, commissioner of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) Priyanka Das and corporators celebrated the feat as the city has been ranked second only to Indore, the financial capital of the state in the cleanliness survey 2018. Mayor gave all credit to sanitation workers who worked 24×7 to keep city clean.

Mayor had repeatedly said that the city will remain second to none this time and all efforts to grab the first position in cleanliness podium were made this time. The efforts made by the BMC towards cleanliness in the city in last one year has fetched it the rank as this year the competition was much tougher as the number of competitors had grown. BMC along with an NGO Sanidhya had undertaken several unique initiatives to ensure that state capital continues to be in headlines for its cleanliness.

Eyeing the first rank, BMC took several initiatives including “Roko Toko” abhiyaan, segregation of dry and wet waste at the household level, setting up of bio-methanisation plants, round the clock sweeping of city, garbage collection, spot fines for spreading filth etc. in the city.

Focussing on open defecation free status, civic body constructed public toilets and place modular toilets across the city. Interestingly, feedback machine were also installed at the toilets to receive customers views on cleanliness and sanitation. One of their other unique experiments included installation of a huge Radio at Roshanpura square. The device was assembled using scraps collected from the city under the initiative called “Kabaad se Jugaad”.

The other novel initiative taken by the BMC included the “ eight vachan” to be taken by the newly wed. The newly married couples were made to take the “eight vachan” along with the seven vows of marriage to make cleanliness a part of their lives. They were administered the vow along with the seven marriage vows to accord equal importance to cleanliness in their surroundings. BMC also launched “Roko Toko” drive under which Mayor and BMC officials were in field to stop people from defecating in open.

The schools were also a part of cleanliness drive this year as “Swacchta samitis” were formed in every school and a competition was also organised among them. Similar cleanliness contests were also organised among hotels and hospitals in the city. To aware people about cleanliness, several chaupals were conducted across the city where the Mayor interacted with residents appealing them to keep their surrounding clean. Municipal commissioners and other officials also interacted with school students. The hotels were also encouraged to create compost from waste. Bio-Methanisation plants were installed across the city to process the waste.

BMC’s eyes were on first slot

Eyeing the first rank, BMC took several initiatives including “roko toko” abhiyaan, segregation of dry and wet waste at the household level, setting up of bio-methanisation plants, round the clock sweeping of city, garbage collection, spot fines for spreading filth etc. in the city.

State capital loses to financial capital yet again

After securing the second position last year, BMC had set its eyes on top slot and was leaving no stone unturned to unseat Indore. However, for the second consecutive year it has to satisfy itself with the second rank as the state’s financial capital has once again been ranked the country’s cleanest city in the cleanliness survey 2018. Bhopal lost the first position to Indore despite all the efforts and mechanisms undertaken by the BMC.

At the time of cleanliness survey, Mayor Alok Sharma, and his entire team were on toes to maintain cleanliness in the city. The workers worked round the clock to make city spick and span. The team of Union government which had come for survey in the city in February had also lavished praises over the city’s cleanliness, however, Indore managed to grab the highest scores.