Govt to register adverse remarks in annual report against urban bodies that fail to get ‘ODF+’ and ‘three star’ for waste disposal

The urban area of Maharashtra was declared Open Defecation Free on October 1, 2017, three years after the implementation of the programme. Similarly, an initiative to tackle waste disposal was launched on May 1, 2017.

3 min readPuneMay 29, 2019 08:27 AM IST

The Swachh Bharat Mission was launched for five years till October 2, 2019. File

The state government has decided to register adverse remarks in the annual confidential report of administrative chief of an urban civic body that fails to get Open Defecation Free (ODF+) certificate and ‘three star’ rating for making its jurisdiction area garbage free, under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by October 2 this year.

In a government resolution (GR), the Maharashtra Urban Development department said the urban civic bodies have been given a target of maintaining cleanliness this year, which is being celebrated as the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2, 2014. The campaign was launched for five years till October 2, 2019.

Under the programme, the government had provided financial support for construction of toilets to those who did not have one and promoted construction of public toilets to minimise open defecation.

The urban area of Maharashtra was declared Open Defecation Free on October 1, 2017, three years after the implementation of the programme.

A grading system was also launched to ensure that the implementation of the programme and use of toilets could be maintained according to the set guidelines. Each area was accordingly graded as ODF+ and ODF++, based on the level of implementation of the government initiative.

Similarly, an initiative to tackle waste disposal was launched on May 1, 2017, wherein the focus was to process waste at the source of generation.

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In January 2019, the Union government conducted a survey and found that only nine of the total 384 urban bodies in Maharashtra could get the ODF++ rating while 142 got ODF+ rating. Besides, only 26 urban bodies could get three star rating on the garbage processing work.

“It has been decided for the urban bodies in the state to at least get ODF+ rating for open defecation free initiative and three star rating for garbage processing by October 2,” it said.

The administrative chief of the respective urban local bodies have been given responsibility to achieve the set ratings by October 2 this year and the district collector has been asked to take review of the work being done by the urban bodies in its area while providing necessary guidance, it said,” The administrative chief of urban bodies that fail to get the ratings will get an adverse remark in their annual confidential report to the state government.”

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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