Swacch app a hit, speeds up the cleaning process

The ‘Swacchta- MoUD’ app launched by the Centre to resolve sanitation-related grievances in cities has become a hit as people all over the country are now able to register complaints and get their problems solved through this app. Till date, around 11 lakh complaints have been lodged using the app in the past 10 months for issues, including delay in clearing of bins, the arrival of garbage vehicles or removal of dead animals. Action has been taken for more than 85% of these cases. Three cities in Madhya Pradesh- Gwalior, Jabalpur and Ratlam have excelled in resolving issues quickly. An urban development ministry official said that the cities are given a dynamic ranking on a daily basis depending upon the responsiveness of the agencies, citizens feedback and user engagement. The official said that a timeframe has been fixed for resolving the complaints and each civic agency is aware of the service level agreements The majority of complaints are about the delay in clearing garbage dumps and regarding areas not swept. All complaints need to be resolved within 12 hours except for removal of dead animals, for which a maximum time of 48 hours is allowed. When a complaint is lodged through the app, it goes to the central server, from where it is directed to the civic agency for action. The complainant is informed at each stage about the status. If the problem is not addressed within the stipulated time, then it gets stepped up to a higher level of activity. The agency concerned to put up an updated photograph after the complaint is resolved. If the complainant is still not satisfied, he can reopen the complaint.