On 25th December, celebrated as Good Governance Day, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) launched the revised ‘Star Rating Protocol of Garbage Free Cities- Toolkit 2022. This innovative protocol, an essential governance tool in waste management, encourages cities to build a robust ecosystem to strengthen their waste management systems.
About the Star Rating Protocol
The MoHUA initiated the Star Rating Protocol in 2018 aiming to foster a mechanism for cities to achieve garbage-free status, propelling them towards sustainable cleanliness. The recently concluded certification exercise saw participation from nearly 50% of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), with 299 cities earning certifications. The ratings ranged from 1-star to 5-star, depending on the city’s performance.
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0
In October 2021, Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 was ushered in with a goal of creating Garbage Free Cities (GFC). This initiative is aimed at steering India towards streamlined sanitation and holistic waste management. It forms one of the many drives intended to ensure the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U) project.
Framework of the Star Rating Protocol
The star rating protocol is built on 12 parameters that follow a SMART framework – Single metric, Measurable, Achievable, Rigorous verification mechanism, and Targeted towards outcomes. The conditions are designed to encourage cities to progressively improve their overall sanitation, ultimately evolving into model cities with a 7-star rating. The comprehensive framework assesses cities over 23 different components of Solid Waste Management (SWM) and assigns grades based on cumulative marks received.
Procedure for Star Rating
The Star Rating system relies on self-assessment and self-verification to attain a certain star rating. It seeks citizen participation to foster transparency in self-declaration, which is later verified by an independent third-party agency appointed by MoHUA.
Significance of the Star Rating Protocol
The Star Rating Protocol plays a crucial role as it influences the city’s final assessment in Swachh Survekshan, the government’s annual urban cleanliness survey. Implementing the protocol ensures minimum sanitation standards through prerequisites defined in the framework and assists cities in improving their overall cleanliness. Furthermore, it provides MoHUA and other stakeholders with an outcome-based tool to evaluate cities.
Garbage Scenario in India
As of January 2020, India generates the highest waste globally, clocking in at 147,613 metric tonnes (MT) of solid waste per day. However, the per capita waste generation in India and China is much less than that in developed countries. The daily per capita waste production in Indian cities ranges from 200 grams to 600 grams. Unfortunately, only 75-80% of municipal waste is collected, and merely 22-28% of this waste is processed and treated. Predictions indicate that by 2050, India’s waste generation will double.
Related Initiatives for Waste Management
Several initiatives have been introduced to tackle the waste problem. These include the Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status, Swachh Bharat Mission, Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2016, and CSIR-CMERI’s Municipal Solid Waste Processing Facility. These initiatives aim to manage and reduce waste effectively across all Indian cities.
