Mangaluru: Despite receiving significant funding from both the central and state governments, particularly under the Smart City Mission, Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) finds itself ranked 146th nationally in the Swachh Survekshan-2022. The survey, conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, reveals dissatisfaction among citizens regarding the cleanliness of public toilets, drains, waterbodies, city beautification, and the grievance redressal mechanism.
According to the survey, citizens are content with the cleanliness of roads, market areas, residential zones, and the absence of open garbage dumps. Despite efforts by MCC officials to encourage citizen participation through campaigns for Swachh Survekshan-2022, the online survey saw a disappointing response. Out of the 2,250 points in the citizen voice category, the city garnered only 1,651.53 points.
In 2017, Mangaluru was ranked 63rd, and in 2018, it secured the 52nd position in Swachh Survekshan. However, this year, the city failed to make it to the list of top 100 cities, obtaining the 146th rank in the 1–10 lakh population category, a decline from the previous year’s rank of 181.
Officials emphasize that citizen feedback plays a crucial role in determining rankings. The MCC aimed to receive a minimum of 15,000 responses for the online survey to compete effectively with other urban local bodies across the nation. Unfortunately, the response fell short of this target.
Social activist M G Hegde points out that the lack of commitment among people’s representatives is reflected in the city’s poor performance in the survey. He expresses disappointment that despite substantial financial support from various government schemes, including the Smart City Mission, Mangaluru failed to secure a spot in the top 100 cities.
Former mayor Premanand Shetty acknowledges the city corporation’s efforts in campaigning for citizen participation in the survey. He notes that despite considerable improvement in the ranking compared to the previous year, only around 10,000 people participated in the survey. Shetty stresses the importance of citizens actively engaging in such initiatives for the city’s overall development.
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