In SDG Index 2019 report, Chandigarh emerges achiever in sanitation

In the SDG goal, it is mentioned that the flagship initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission covering all rural and urban areas has successfully achieved the target of making India open defacation-free (ODF) by October 2, 2019. The parameter includes conversion of unsanitary toilets to pour-flush toilets, eradication of manual scavenging, municipal solid waste management, raising awareness and nudging positive behavioural change in people.

Councillors have questioned Chandigarh’s performance in this category. “This is surprising. How can the city, performance of which is going down can be the achiever with perfect score? Maybe the corporation is fudging the data and sending wrong feedback,” Congress councillor Devinder Singh Babla said.

Another councillor, Satish Kainth, said that it should be checked who provided the details on municipal waste management to the government.

“The officials of sanitation wing are not revealing actual details. Even as they say that their public toilets are in the best condition, one should just go and see there are no facilities and water is also not available,” Kainth said.

Questioning the claim of ‘open defecation-free’ status by the corporation, former mayor Subhash Chawla said that it is being falsely said that the city is among ODF plus plus cities.

“The situation is starkly different from what they are claiming. There are several colonies which don’t even have any public toilets. All this is just a sham,” Chawla said.

Chandigarh emerged as the top performer among the Union Territories in the SDG goals with a total score of 70. Among the states, Kerala emerged as the front runner with a score of 70.