PANJIM: The inability to plug the garbage menace and the open defecation by urban local bodies in the State has reflected in the Swachh Survekshan 2019 with Panjim slipping to 337 in ranking out of 425 cities in the country. As a State, Goa ranked 18 out of 28 states in the country, improving its ranking compared to 20 in 2018.
At an award ceremony in Delhi, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released the Swachh Survekshan 2019 report in which Indore retained the tag of being the cleanest city in the country.
However, Panjim which had bagged the ‘Best State Capital Award for Innovation & Best Practices’ in the Swachh Surveksan 2018, slipped to 337 rank compared to 155 in 2018.
Other urban local bodies too tumbled from their ranking to below 800, with Cuncolim Municipal Council ranking at 829 followed by Mapusa at 847, Valpoi at 857, Bicholim at 858, Quepem at 877, Canacona at 894, Curchorem-Cacora at 909, Margao at 925, Pernem at 933, Sanguem at 948, Ponda at 969, Mormugao at 970 and Sanquelim at 1000.
Panjim had ranked 16 in 2016, 90 in 2017 and 155 in 2018. The capital city has been tumbling continuously in its ranking of being amongst the cleanest cities in the country despite being selected for the ‘Smart City’ project under the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) was unable to explain the continuous poor performance of the State’s capital. Officials entrusted with the project said that since the parameters on which the data has been released needs to be studied, CCP will not be in a position to comment on the report released on Wednesday.
Officials, however, said that unlike earlier when the team of surveyors comprised of central government representatives as well as local officials, the Swachh Survekshan 2019 team comprised exclusively of central government representatives. “There was no local official involved and we are not even aware when they carried out the survey,” a CCP staffer said.
As per the report, the survey was carried out in the month of January this year. The report states, “The current Swachh Survekshan, which spanned from 4th of January to 31st of January 2019, has covered a total of 4237 ULBs and Cantonment Boards from all states and UTs, barring the State of West Bengal that had opted not to participate.”
