Bhubaneswar: The Union ministry of housing and urban affairs is starting a holistic competition to provide star ratings to cities based on their solid waste management practices and the capital is geared up for it.

The competition titled "Star Ratings of Garbage Free Cities" began after the ministry organised a stakeholder workshop in Raipur on April 25 where they sensitised officials on various parameters, components and protocols of the competition. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation had taken part in it.

The Union ministry claims this competition is different from the annual Swachh Survekshan (national level survey to rank cities on cleanliness) since many cities can have same high star ratings while in Swachh Survekshan, only one city can be adjudged the cleanest city.

A garbage-free city could be judged in six different parameters -no garbage is found in public or commercial place, 100 per cent scientific management of waste, no garbage is found in drains, legacy waste has been re-mediated, steady reduction in waste generation and visible beautification of the city.

The ministry will use SMART (Single-metric, Measurable, Achievable, Rigorous-verification and Targeted-towards-outcome) rating in the competition. Ratings will comprise all components of Swachh Bharat Mission, which is 100 per cent door-to-door collection of waste, efforts towards making city free from open defecation and the satisfaction of citizens on the cleanliness aspects.

As part of this competition, a city could get the highest of seven-star rating. A city will be able to self assess and give itself up to three stars. In order to get four stars or more, it needs to be assessed by ministry officials.

Sources said each star would be given or claimed based on the city's practice in each components of the Swachh Bharat Mission, including solid waste management, public and community toilets, maintenance of public and commercial places among others.

"We are ready for the competition," said a civic body official who attended the workshop in Raipur.

"In some parameters, we are doing well such as the beautification aspect, but there are still other things to achieve," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.

"The number of toilets have increased in the city, but regular sweeping activities are hardly taking place," said Surya Kumar, a resident of Patia.