Mys gearing up; Swachh survey yet to kick off

Mysuru: The 11th edition of Swachh Survekshan, the annual all-India survey conducted to rank the cleanest cities in the country, has been delayed this year.By this time, the national exercise, which is closely watched by urban local bodies across India, would normally have already begun. However, no formal announcement or order has yet been issued by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, leading to uncertainty among civic bodies preparing for the assessment.Sources indicated that one possible reason for the delay could be the ongoing elections in four states and one Union territory. Since the model code of conduct often affects administrative decisions and official announcements, some officials believe this may have slowed down the process. Others, however, have linked the delay to international developments, particularly the recent tensions involving Israel, the US and Iran, which are said to have affected energy supplies and the economy in India. Despite these claims, there has been no official confirmation regarding the exact cause of the postponement.The delay has not dampened the efforts of the Mysuru City Corporation, which has continued its preparations to retain its place among the top three cities in the category of urban local bodies with a population below 10 lakh. Over the years, Mysuru has built a strong reputation in the Swachh Survekshan rankings and has consistently focused on sanitation, waste management, public cleanliness and citizen participation.MCC commissioner Shaik Tanveer Asif confirmed to TOI that this year, there has been a delay in conducting the survey and claimed that MCC is determined to improve on areas where it fell short in the previous survey.Swachh Survekshan nodal officer KS Mruthyunjaya, who is executive engineer (environment), MCC, said one of the major initiatives taken up this year is the construction and demolition waste management project, a segment that was lacking in the earlier assessment. The work is underway.Apart from this, MCC has continued its regular cleanliness drives, waste segregation efforts and awareness campaigns to strengthen its standing in the survey. Civic authorities are hopeful that whenever the Swachh Survekshan begins, Mysuru will be in a strong position to compete once again at the national level, he stated. In the previous two editions, MCC ranked in the top three positions in the under one million population category.