Panaji (Goa): The State government has assured to achieve 100 percent Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by October 2018. . “Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar has told us that Goa will be 100 percent ODF by October 2018. I have no doubt that Goa will achieve this status,” Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Sngh Puri said at a press briefing today.
As per the data, out of 4,041 cities, 2,260 have already been declared as ODF and Goa is set to join the league. The union minister also applauded Goa for its scientific approach towards waste management stating other states should replicate the system.
He was speaking after launching smart star rating for garbage free states claiming the states will be awarded ranks based on multiple cleanliness indicators for solid waste management, which will include Door-to-Door collection, bulk generator compliance, source segregation, sweeping, scientific processing of waste, scientific land filling, plastic waste management, construction and demolition management, dump remediation and citizen grievance redressal system, etc. ODF is also one of the criteria.
Parrikar said that in Goa, by October 2018 ODF will be achieved at least in urban areas and in 2019 seven-star will be fully on way in Goa.
Puri further said response to Swachh Bharat Mission campaign in Goa has been huge and Goa has contributed a lot and that is the reason they have decided to launch protocol in Goa. “The youth in the city are spreading awareness on what each one of them can do individually and collectively to keep clean Goa,” he added.
Cities can be rated as 1, 2,3,4,5 and 7 star based on their compliance with the protocol conditions specified for each of the rating. Further city should be ODF before it could be given rating of 3 star or above. While cities may self-declare themselves as 1-star, 2-star or 4-star, the ministry will carry out an additional verification through an independent third party to certify cities as 3-star, 5-star or 7-star. Cities will need to get recertified themselves every year to retain their star-status.
The Swachh Survekshan survey run by the SBM Urban for the past three years has successfully built up a spirit of healthy competition among cities, vying with each other every year to improve their ranking as compared to other cities. The distinctive feature of Star Rating System will be that many cities can have higher stars as compared to only one city can be “Cleanest city” under Swachh Survekshan.
Puri said that it is expected that the Star-rating initiative will be another effective tool for achieving the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission of “Open Defection Free” and Garbage Free India.
