'Swachh Survekshan': Seven urban local bodies from Chhattisgarh to receive national awards

Seven urban local bodies (ULBs) in Chhattisgarh will receive national awards under ‘Swachh Survekshan 2024’ for excellent performance on cleanliness parameters, government officials said.

President Droupadi Murmu will present the national awards to the local bodies during an event in New Delhi on July 17, a government release said.

Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to assess the cleanliness and sanitation of cities and towns in India.

For excellence in sanitation, Bilaspur Municipal Corporation has been selected under the ‘Big Cities’ category (with a population between 3 to 10 lakh), Kumhari Municipality has been selected in the ‘Small Cities’ category (with a population between 20,000 to 50,000), and Bilha Nagar Panchayat has been recognised in the ‘Very Small Cities’ category (for towns with a population below 20,000), it said.

Besides, Raipur Municipal Corporation will receive the Ministerial Award from MoHUA for “outstanding” work at the state level in the area of cleanliness, the statement said.

To further recognise cities that have demonstrated exceptional performance in sanitation, a new category titled the ‘Super Swachhata League (SSL)’ has been introduced in Swachh Survekshan this year, it said.

This league includes cities that have ranked among the top three at least once in the past three years and are currently placed within the top 200 cities in their respective population categories, the release said.

Under SSL, three local bodies from the state have been selected – Ambikapur Municipal Corporation in the category of cities with populations ranging from 50,000 to 3 lakh, and Patan Nagar Panchayat along with Bishrampur Nagar Panchayat in the category for cities with populations below 20,000, it said.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and his deputy Arun Sao have called this recognition the result of continuous and coordinated efforts by the Urban Administration and Development Department as well as local urban bodies in making Chhattisgarh’s cities clean and beautiful, it said.

The CM and deputy CM also expressed hope that more urban local bodies from the state would receive national-level recognition for cleanliness in the coming years, it said.

“The national-level selection of seven urban local bodies from Chhattisgarh in Swachh Survekshan 2024 is a matter of great pride for the entire state. It is a testament to the collective efforts of our urban administration, local bodies, and citizens.

“Cities like Bilaspur, Kumhari, Bilha, Raipur, Ambikapur, Patan, and Bishrampur have set inspiring examples in the domain of cleanliness, which will serve as a model for other ULBs. I congratulate all the winning cities and reaffirm my belief that Chhattisgarh will continue to be a leading state in the nation’s cleanliness movement,” the CM said.

Right from municipal governance to state and central governments, all levels of administration have been consistently working together with innovation to make cities clean, aesthetic, and equipped with modern amenities, he added.