Last year, Ghaziabad, more often in the news for crime and pollution than for its civic practices, was the surprise package of the
national Swachh Bharat rankings: it climbed 315 places to 36th and became the fastest moving big city on the national index. A year later, its impressive show continues. The NCR district has finished third in the country in terms of cleanliness and sanitation in rural areas, in a survey carried out by the Union ministry of drinking water and sanitation.

The Centre has compiled a list of 12 top-performing districts from among 412 districts across 25 states and Union territories that participated in the survey. The study examined steps taken by the districts to improve sanitation in rural areas for World Toilet Day on November 19. The districts that participated had made their submissions between November 9 and 19. The topper is Bankura in West Bengal and the second-ranked district is Ganderbal in Jammu & Kashmir. Ghaziabad is the only UP district in the top 12.

The parameters on which the districts were selected include door-to-door visits for spreading awareness on sanitation, implementation of solid and liquid waste management, selection of dumping grounds in rural areas, introduction of twin-pit toilet models and reducing open defecation.

The rural areas of Ghaziabad had already been declared free of open defecation in August 2017. Around 23,000 toilets have been constructed in rural areas under the Swachh Bharat Mission. District administration  introduced door-to-door collection of solid waste in around 65 gram panchayats of Ghaziabad. Solid waste is being collected in tractors and e-rickshaws from rural households against a fee. By January, aim is  to cover all 160 gram panchayats in the district.

The administration has also introduced a system of segregation and composting in around 60 villages, where vermicompost
pits have been created to produce manure from biodegradable waste.

Women self-help groups have been formed in four villages where aim  is to generate employment by developing nurseries. Manure from vermicompost pits will be used in these nurseries. While undertaking sanitation drives, numerous dumping lots were came accrossed in each village. These have been reclaimed and beautified while mini-dumping sites have been marked for seven
to eight villages each. Rural solid waste management is not centralised yet.