Swachh Survekshan 2019: Nashik way below other cities in Maharashtra

NASHIK: The efforts to clean up the river and overall garbage management have failed to improve the city’s cleanliness score over the past year.
Nashik has emerged well below other major cities such as Mumbai, Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad, Aurangabad and Kolhapur in the Swachh Survekshan 2019 rankings declared on Wednesday by the union ministry of health and urban affairs.
Nashik, a city with more than one lakh population, has been ranked 67th in the country. As many as 4,237 cities were surveyed across the country for Swachh Survekshan 2019, among which, there were 425 cities with a population of more than one lakh.
Reacting to the score, Nashik Municipal Corporation’s public health officer Sachin Hiray said they were in competition with more cities this year. “We tried our best and have not done bad. We will try to improve the rank,” Hiray said.
He added that they had conducted several awareness campaigns, special drives, river cleaning and inspection drives. The efficient garbage collection system, solid waste management plant, sewage treatment facilities are also good.
Last year, the city’s ranking had dropped because of poor citizens’ participation in the survey. This year, the citizens’ participation was “better” as compared to previous years, Hiray said.
Nashikites were disappointed with the city’s performance in the cleanliness rankings but added that civic sense needs to improve.
Sarang Joshi, an engineer, felt that if other cities in the state could fare better then why should Nashik lag behind. “Yes, the competition is getting tougher by the day. But other cities are performing better while competing on the same parameters. This is a beautiful city but a lot more needs to be done. I feel it is more about civic sense than civic administration’s shortfalls,” he said.
The addition of cities into the survey makes it a tough competition, some felt. Vidya Pawar, a teacher, said, “The government has started making several categories in an attempt to encourage more cities to participate. Our city has not done bad and it is clean. Of course, public awareness has to increase.”
Apurva Ranade, a student, said that if citizens stopped littering, then the city would be less dirty. “These days, schools are teaching a lot about civic manners and importance of keeping our surroundings clean. Many students convey these lessons at home and see to it that it is implemented. But I feel, our rivers need more attention.”
Ranade hoped that in a few years, the city would rank among the top 10 in the country. “It is a combined duty of both the government departments and the citizens,” Apurva said.