Swachh is the buzzword as the pan-India Swachh Survekshan-2018 kicks off across the country's 4,041 civic bodies from Thursday. How well prepared are three urban bodies Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC), Mango Notified Area Committee (MNAC) and Jugsalai Municipality? In a city where company areas are among the cleanest in the country but many outside as dirty as anywhere else, Animesh Bisoee finds out the swachh picture of India's first planned city

Dates: Under Union urban development ministry schedules, the Jugsalai assessment will begin from January 8 while dates of Mango and Jamshedpur notified areas are not yet announced.

Past record: While Jugsalai Municipality area is making its debut in the survey, Jamshedpur (read JNAC) and Mango (MNAC) were ranked 64 and 131 in 2017

JNAC

The biggest civic body can count on Jusco and a stern flying enforcement squad as its positives but lacks solid waste treatment plant

Game-changer: Flying enforcement squad, active for more than a month, strictly enforces plastic ban in commercial areas, curbs littering and open urination, orders Sulabh International to keep public toilets in commercial areas clean

Google loos: Community toilets in areas vulnerable to open defecation outsourced to firms for operations and maintenance in exchange for ads. All community and public toilets located on Google Maps. Large number of prefab ready-to-use portable urinals and toilets at market places, construction sites. Mobile toilets got a big thumbs up

Clean sweep: Two-time cleaning of garbage and sweeping (day and night) at commercial areas, parks and other landmarks

Trash pick: Door-to-door waste collection and segregation of waste at source in most Tata Steel command areas by Jusco (Tata Steel civic utility wing), whose activities will be accounted under JNAC in the survey

Spruce-up: Compost plant for biodegradable waste of Jusco at Jubilee Park. Wall paintings and beautification jointly with Jusco

App happy: Already achieved Swachh App download target (15,400) with a complaint resolution percentage of 90.09. Campaign through FM channels, leaflets and hoardings making an impact

Recycling poser: Absence of solid waste treatment and waste-to-energy conversion plants, though a private agency's detailed project report is awaiting state nod. No proper landfill site

Authority speak

Our date of assessment is not yet announced, but we are geared up with coordinated efforts of Jusco and district administration to present a clean city and improve our survey ranking. We hope to have the waste treatment facility by 2018-end

Sanjay Kumar Pandey, JNAC special officer

MNAC

Toilets are the biggest feat for this civic body, which however is still not stern enough with litterbugs

Loo's good: All community and public toilets are disabled-friendly and child-friendly with ramps and suitable heights of urinals and basins.

Smart garbage: Garbage dumping points in Azadnagar, Daiguttu, Munshi Mohalla and Jawaharnagar reclaimed into parks. Innovative idea of selfie with dustbin to help encourage house-owners to dump garbage in dustbins. Over 1,000 wet-dry litter bins installed. Bal Swachhata Committee in over 22 schools to keep campuses and nearby areas clean and inspire adults

App happy: Surpassed target for Swachhata App download (over 5,000 as against a target of 4,900) with a complaint resolution per cent of 85.

Who cares: Quick response team neither effective nor feared enough, unlike JNAC flying enforcement squad

Down in the dumps: No landfill sites. Wastes dumped at Bhuiyandih in JNAC area. No compost or waste treatment plant. Night cleaning remains ineffective

Authority speak

We hope our ranking improves as citizens are more involved this time. We have constructed toilets at all vulnerable points

Shafi-ur-Rahman, city manager of MNAC and in-charge of Swachh Bharat Mission

JUGSALAI MUNICIPALITY

Newbie entrant made the market area cleaner but not built enough loos

Market savvy: Onsite composting at Naya Bazar vegetable market, many important hotels; installed 50 twin-bins for dry and wet wastes at important roads; reclaimed garbage dumping point near Station Road underbridge.

Smart garbage: Has a landfill site near Shiv Ghat

Loo lacuna: Land posers prevented building enough public and community toilets.

Who cares: Enforcement squad ineffective against public littering

Authority speak

We could not complete our toilet construction target due to land issues but hope to earn marks with composting

Surendra Prasad, Jugsalai Municipality special officer

Expert eye

Jamshedpur (read JNAC) will improve its ranking significantly. But, citizens should exhibit proper civic sense for lasting impact

Ashish Mathur, Jusco MD