Aafrin Kidwai 
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has decided to challenge the declaration of star-rating of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Vizag’s rating dropped to a one-star from the last year’s two star.
The scoring mechanism is based on the progress achieved by a certain civic body in three different indicators, namely ‘mandatory’, ‘essential’ and ‘desirable’ parameters. A certain score in ‘mandatory’ and ‘essential’ parameters is sufficient to achieve a one star. But at least 30% progress in the ‘desirable’ catalogue is required to get a three-star.
The Times of India reports that even though the GVMC scored 84 and 70 percent in the ‘mandatory’ and ‘essential’ categories, the city was awarded zero marks in the ‘desirable’ component. It was mentioned in the report that the city failed to achieve the required score in the city level parameter ‘D3’, which deals with construction and demolition waste plant storage, segregation, processing, and recycling.
However, the GVMC claims that the construction and demolition plant has been in existence for the last two years. GVMC additional commissioner V Sanyasi Rao said they would submit documents pertaining to the construction and demolition waste plant and its functioning to the Swachh Bharat Mission officials in New Delhi on May 26. “Based on the same, we request them for an upgradation of the star rating of the GVMC, which otherwise could negatively affect the city’s ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2020,” said Sanyasi Rao.
