SHILLONG: Miles to go before the broom can rest.
The state capital aka Scotland of the East had something to cheer about on Thursday when it was ranked 377 nationally in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 conducted under Swachh Bharat Mission. After all, it was better than 2019 and even better than 2018.
In 2019, the city had ranked 394, several notches up from 2018 when it occupied the 407th position.
Yet, not good enough as Shillong was declared as the sixth dirtiest city among the 382 with population less than 10 lakh.
Dimapur (375) and Itanagar (376) are a shade better.
Out of the allocated 6000 marks, the city managed 1036.12.
The Centre announced the results of its latest annual cleanliness survey on Thursday.
Urban and Municipal Affairs Minister Hamlet Dohling had little to comment. “I will get a clarification from the department and make a comment” was all he said when contacted for his comment.
Pankaj Sarma, a resident of Guwahati and a regular weekend visitor to the city — till before the pandemic struck — was aghast to learn of Shillong’s dubious distinction. “But it is such a lovely place”, he exclaimed.
On the surface, true, but surveys can be cold; the alluring pine trees cannot hide the truth.
Sources attributed the city’s continued poor showing to the absence of an active waste management policy. “Until and unless we have a proper mechanism in place we will continue to languish at the bottom of the heap,” a source said.
Meanwhile, Indore was adjudged India’s cleanest city for a fourth straight year while Surat and Navi Mumbai grabbed the second and third positions respectively. (With PTI inputs)