The Hindu       29.12.2014   

Survey comes up with suggestions for Corpn. to improve services

Survey finds Coimbatore Corporation wanting in quality of services it offers.— File Photo:K. Ananthan

Fifty per cent of residents in the city, who responded to a survey, said that the Corporation cleaned drains only once in three months. Nearly 80 per cent respondents said that they suffered water stagnation. Around 50 per cent residents had said that the civic body carried out mosquito control measures only monthly and another 24 per cent said occasionally.

The IC Centre for Governance and Kumaraguru College of Technology Business School carried out the survey in all the 100 wards, getting feedback from 13,775 persons. They had distributed booklets, which sought details on drinking water supply duration, quality, condition of roads, efficacy of solid waste management schemes, street lights, mosquito control measures and all services the civic body provided.

The management school students and the Centre members asked the respondents to rate services on a scale of one – five with one being poor and five excellent.

Mr. Baskar of the Centre said that the survey had revealed that among the services the Corporation offered, it fared better in water supply in that 75 per cent respondents said they were satisfied with the duration of supply and 85 per cent with the quality of water.

The civic body secured the lowest score in underground drainage system followed by storm water drainage facility, both of which were at present available only in the old city area. The 40 wards that constituted the added areas were to get those.

Mr. Baskar added that the survey was essential for any organisation such as the Corporation as it would help understand the needs of people it served. In this case, the Corporation could channelise its resources so that it could improve on services or in wards where it had fared poorly.

Based on the report, the Centre and the business school had also prepared ward infrastructure index, to throw more light on the each of the 100 wards’ requirements. Sources in the civic body said that they would utilise the report to better services.