DNA Micro Edit: Is Capital really failing the Swachh Bharat test?

The national capital, New Delhi, is trailing far behind tier-II cities such as Indore and Bhopal in the rankings for providing such basic civic services such as cleanliness and sanitation. The survey, conducted by the Union Ministry of Urban Development, is a stark reminder of poor urban planning and enforcement on the ground. It speaks poorly of the local governing bodies and the overall administration that the capital city, a hub for foreign tourists and international dignitaries, lacks basic civic amenities such as bins, clean toilets, adequate drainage, and an efficient mechanism to manage solid waste.

The capital, which has five civic bodies — New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) for Lutyen's Delhi, North, South and East Corporations and Delhi Cantonment Board — has made a mess of its civic services. Lutyen's Delhi, which claims to be an 'open defecation-free' zone has been failing the Swachh Bharat test, with people in the slum-clusters located along the railway tracks urinating in the open.

Also, markets such as Khan Market and Sarojini Nagar have a serious sewage management problem as is evidenced by the overpowering stench from their service lanes.

Additionally, the three corporations have been embroiled in corruption and in playing a blame game with the Delhi state government. Also, the state has made a mockery by dividing the formerly-unified MCD into three corporations rendering them both powerless and penniless at the same time.