Executive Summary

This study is based on an assessment made on Veracity of Swachh Survekshan (SS) on the basis of grassroot and town level information from three select cities who figure among top 20 cities in the ranking of SS held in 2022. The three forward looking cities namely Surat, Hyderabad and Pune figuring among top 10 cities with ranking first, ninth and tenth respectively have been selected who have demonstrated excellent performance on individual parameters of ranking in the survey.

The single most important point noted from the study is that Swachh Bharat Mission of Government of India (GoI) has induced a continuity of reforms in the waste management which varies from city to city.

The study, in this regard, confirms that the Swachh Survekshan is used by the mission as a unique tool to assess the cleanliness/sanitation status of cities across length and breadth of India, based on sanitation scores cities are facilitated under various categories. These awards act as motivation for ULBs & Citizens to contribute in making cities clean.

Data collected from select cities among top 10 cities in swachh ranking confirm that Survekshan has engaged cities to know their status in waste management and persuade them to improve their performance with a sense of healthy competition. The Survekshan accordingly is engaging the cities to review their performance and take necessary actions on Swachhta (Sanitation) to improve their ranking in the forthcoming Swachh Survekshan.

Follow up agenda emerging from the veracity exercise on each of the nine assessment points under the survekshan is summarised below:

The analyses of the three Municipal Corporations shows specific steps taken by respective cities under the overall coordination by respective ULBs (Municipal Corporations) and also reaffirm the incidence of adaptation of technology, mobilization of resources, convergence and synergy among stakeholders and visible improvement in the status of sanitation at city level. Specific lessons drawn from the study for wider

dissemination and adaptation are as follow:

(i) Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the world largest program on sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness inspires cities in India and elsewhere to examine their own performance’ in the light of Swachh Survey occurring since 2016 on Y2Y basis.

(ii) D2D (Door to Door) Collection needs regular focus on sustaining and improving the performance with requisite important measures namely: (i) Involvement of stakeholders including use of media for community awareness and participation (Surat), (ii) deployment of ex-servicemen for engagement and monitoring at grass-root level and augmentation of refuse compactor vehicles, transfer stations to smoothly process the collection (Hyderabad), and (iii) engagement of rag pickers (Self Help Groups) in the collection (Pune).

(iii) Segregation at source is a must and needs

(i) Intensive engagement and facilitation of RWAs to ensure segregation at source (Hyderabad),

(ii) Involvement of NGOs (like SWaCH) to segregate at collection centres (Pune), and

(iii) organization of city-wide campaigns – plastic waste and demonstration of in-situ processing of kitchen waste (Surat).

(iv) Waste Generation and Processing needs application of dual collection i.e. (i) separately from normal and bulk waste generators (Hyderabad), (ii) encouragement of bulk waste generators like group housing societies to process on-site using bio-gas plant (Pune), and (iii) Installation of large-scale processing plant separately for wet and dry waste (Surat).

(v) Remediation of dump sites should be adapted using (i) comprehensive project (700 mld legacy waste:Hyderabad), (ii) Waste to Green Hydrogen Generation (Pune – 0.6 ton hydrogen from 10 ton of waste), and (iii) successful cleaning of existing dumpsite (Surat)

(vi) Cleanliness in residential areas need to augmentation with (i) Parichay – Introducing sanitation workers to local citizen, Felicitation of RWAs (performing better) and PPE Kits for cleaning staff (Hyderabad), (ii) Organisation of cleanliness drive and media highlight for good cases (Pune) and (iii) Community clean up events and application of penalties (Surat).

(vii) Cleanliness of market areas need development of a robust system of (i) in-situ processing (wherever feasible), night sweeping and bulk waste collection using private sector/NGOs (Hyderabad), (ii) monitoring of PMC staff, and outsourced agencies, (Pune) and, (iii) Advertisement campaign and cleanliness drive involving market associations (Surat)

(viii) Cleanliness of drains should be planned with (i) development of de-silting plan including plan for sewage free lakes (Hyderabad), (ii) using machines to clean drains (Pune), and (iii) set-up city-based mission for 100% coverage under storm water drains (Surat)

(ix) Cleanliness of water bodies need special attention with (i) Strict enforcement of regulations on dumping of C&D waste and set-up protecting bunds, walking tracks and occasional desilting and immersion ponds for specific waste (PoP) etc. (Hyderabad), (ii) apply rejuvenation plan of water bodies with construction of embankment of rivers and beautifications of lakes (Pune), and (iii) large scale attachment of water bodies with citizen group (80%), use of smart technologies for real time testing monitoring of water quality (Surat)

(x) Cleanliness of community toilets needs (i) regularly monitoring using renovations/modernization (Pune) and (ii) Construction on PPP mode on the basis of advertisement rights and user charges along with community led management (Surat).

The cleanliness approaches as adapted by the three cities have special role of anchoring by Urban Local Body.

Accordingly, ULB led initiatives need to be developed to sustain and continue the mission of cleanliness.

In this regard, the annual survey of Govt. of India i.e. Swachh Survekshan will always play a critical role to engage ULBs and other stakeholders to sustain/improve their efforts and develop a healthy competition for Govt. of India’s vision for a Vikasit Bharat.

Measures taken in the SWM in Sample Cities during 2022-2023