Chandigarh, May 10: Chandigarh has been adjudged the best city in terms of quality sanitation under the National Rating and Award Scheme for Sanitation for Indian Cities by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. The city scored 73.48 points. Delhi has been placed second and Ahmedabad as third in this national level survey. The award was today received by Sanjay Kumar, Secretary, Urban Planning and Development and Roshan Sunkaria, Commissioner, MC, Chandigarh at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
The award is based on the premise that improved public health and environmental standards are the two outcomes that cities must seek to ensure for urban citizens.
The Government in constituting this award has given due recognition to the fact that the cities will need to raise the awareness of stake holders like households, establishments, industries, municipal functionaries, media etc. since improved sanitation can ensure improved public health and environmental outcomes only if considerable changes in behaviour and practice take place across the spectrum of society.
A totally sanitized city will be one that has achieved the outputs or milestone specified in the National Urban Sanitation Policy for example the city must be open-defecation free, it must eliminate the practice of manual scavenging and provide adequate personnel protection equipment that addresses the safety of sanitation workers, municipal wastewater and storm water drainage must be safely managed, recycle and reuse of treated wastewater for non potable applications should be implemented wherever possible, solid waste collected and disposed off fully and safely, services to the poor and systems for sustaining results, improved public health outcomes and environmental standards.
The rating of cities with regard to their performance in sanitation improvements are based on set of objective indicators of outputs, processes and outcomes. The Output Related Indicators are given 50 points against which Chandigarh has been awarded 36.25 points, Process Related indicators are given 30 points against which Chandigarh has been given 21.08 points and Outcome Related Indicators are given 20 points against which Chandigarh has been given 16.15 points.
The Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has been able to achieve this status at National Level with regard to performance indicators with the active support and cooperation of the public, various resident welfare associations, NGOs and individuals.
The concept of totally sanitized cities springs from the milestones specified in the National Urban Sanitation Policy and Goals 2008.
