After bagging the cleanest state capital tag and a nationwide 18th rank last year, the city slipped 31 notches on Swachh Survekshan 2019 to stand at 49th position. The city had ranked 18th in last year's Swachh Survekshan rankings.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has blamed poor citizen feedback for the drop in the ranking. However, only 400 (8 per cent) out of 5000 marks depended upon the app-based response. In reality, the onus is on garbage mismanagement and its failure to make the city open defecation-free.

Civic officials claimed that they didn't get adequate feedback from citizens, unlike last year. Last year Mumbai scored 86 per cent in citizen feedback. This year, the score came down to 68 per cent. Further bifurcation of the marks shows a different picture. Out of 1250 marks, only 400 marks were given to app-based response where citizen should register themselves and give feedback. The other 850 marks were related to the direct feedback given by the Swachh Survekshan team. It was due to negative remarks from citizens regarding that the city had cut such a sorry figure, claim BMC officials.

However, the onus is on poor scores in Certification (37 per cent). The Swachh Survekshan ranks cites across the country in the categories of cleanliness and sanitation on four parameters — direct observations, citizen feedback, service-level progress and certification with 1,250 marks allotted for each category. Out of 5000 marks, the city scored 3,277 points. This included 1,126 for direct observation, 848 for citizen feedback, 862 for service-level progress and 450 for certification. Certification includes garbage-free city and open defecation free protocols.

In the certification category, the city had applied for a three-star rating. "The criteria demanded 100 per cent sewerage network, closure of all dumping grounds, over 80 per cent of waste processing, 100 per cent segregation, compelling all bulk generators to process their waste, etc. Due to failure in meeting the criterion, BMC got only two stars with 200 marks," said an official from the BMC.

The open defecation status shows a poorer picture of the city's claim. City managed to score 100 out of 250 because of inconsistency in Open Defecation Free status.

POOR PICTURE

  • Last year the city scored 86% in citizen feedback. This year, the score came down to 68%   
  • Out of the total 5000 marks for different categories of cleanliness and sanitation, the city scored 3,277 points  
  • It managed to score 100 out of 250 marks in Open Defecation Free category