Kochi has slipped its position in the Swachh Survekshan nationwide cleanliness ranking to 416 in 2023 from 298 in 2022.
Only 446 cities had participated in the survey held last year. Among the cities with a population of above one lakh, Kochi was ranked 416. It was placed ninth among the cities in the State. In 2021, Kochi was ranked 324 in the nationwide survey.
The Kochi Corporation scored 1,840.5 out of the total 9,500 marks under various categories this time. The civic body was not able to earn marks in parameters including solid waste collection, segregation, and processing. The city scored only 482 marks out of the total 4,830 in these categories.
The slip in rankings has invited criticism from various quarters. The Ernakulam Development Committee blamed it on corruption and lack of efficiency in services offered by the Corporation. It said in a communication that the Corporation should take steps to check illegal burning of plastic waste and initiate action against erring officials.
Mayor M. Anilkumar hoped that the ranking would improve in 2024 in view of the series of steps being initiated by the civic body. The Corporation has initiated a strategy combining centralised and decentralised methods to bridge gaps in solid waste management, he said.
