CHENNAI: As part of the Swachh Bharat Mission ( SBM ), the city corporation has begun collecting feedback from residents in many areas for assessing garbage-free star rating for the city. The rating can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 and will help assess the strength of conservancy operations and solid waste management by the local body.However, residents have criticised the feedback forms as they don't provide space for proper criticism and assessment.A quick glance at the form says that all it needs is ‘declaring that the city corporation follows all necessary conditions of garbage-free star rating,’ and a rating from 1 to 5, or 7, to be given by a citizen representative. What the residents have not been informed, however, is how to assess the rating.As per the SBM guidelines, the 7-star rating system has to be based on cleanliness indicators for solid waste management, which includes door-to-door garbage collection, bulk generator compliance, source segregation, sweeping, scientific processing of waste, scientific land filling, plastic waste management, construction and demolition (C&D) waste management, dump yard remediation and effectiveness of citizen grievance redressal system.“The forms distributed by the corporation-trained staff seek our rating, but there is no explanation on how to rate their services . To top that, residents are also signing the forms without questioning the staff,” said R Meera, a resident of Adyar.Residents association representatives also said that giving a straight rating will not help assess the work done on the ground. “Anyone can give a 7-star rating. The form should also make it easy for residents to provide an assessment of the solid waste management in their vicinity. Maybe, sweeping is good but door-to-door collection is not. Source segregation and littering are indicators for which public is responsible. How will all this information be conveyed? There should have been multiple pointers to explain which rating and why, instead of just submitting a rating and signing the form,” said V Nagarajan, a resident of Alandur.

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