Kochi: Even as Kochi Corporation launched its much-hyped ‘Mission Clean Kochi’ campaign, the city continues its poor ranking in the urban sanitation index. Kochi ranked 81st in the sanitation ranking exercise carried out for 423 cities under the mandate of National Urban Sanitation Policy (NUSP) through the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

The city secured an overall score of 41.07 out of 100 which indicates the need for considerable improvement in sanitary conditions in Kochi. The research was conducted by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) which collated data over six months and prepared the status report in 2011. Even three years after the report was published, the city corporation is yet to initiate concrete measures to address the issues in urban sanitation.

A detailed assessment of the 74 divisions within the city limits was conducted based on NUSP directives. The major sanitary issues pointed out included inadequate septage management, dumping solid waste in canals and drains, limited sewerage coverage, disparity in water supply and open defecation in low-income pockets.

Based on the findings, a City Sanitation Plan has been prepared for addressing the current issues and future sanitary requirements of the city through a participatory approach.

“The comprehensive sanitation study report was an eye-opener for the civic administration. It covered all aspects of sanitation ranging from groundwater contamination to solid waste management. Based on this report the City Corporation initiated projects for septage and sewerage treatment, which are in various stages of implementation. According to the survey, more than 80 per cent of the groundwater sources in the city are contaminated, which was a shocking reality,” said town planning committee chairman K. J. Sohan.

The GIZ has been supporting the civic body by providing technical support and training to improve sanitation condition in the urban areas.