In a remarkable achievement for the state of Kerala, eight urban local bodies have been recognized among the top 100 cleanest cities in India according to the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2024. These cities are Kochi, Mattannur, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Alappuzha, Guruvayur, Thiruvananthapuram, and Kollam.
Among these, Kochi stands out as the only city from Kerala to secure a place in the top 50 cleanest cities, earning the 50th rank. Last year, Kerala did not have any urban local body on the list of top-1000 clean cities.
The improvement in rankings is a significant step forward for Kerala’s urban local bodies. Kollam, under the leadership of Balagopal from the United Democratic Front, has been one of the cities that have shown marked improvement. The capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, is also among the top 100 cleanest cities this year.
The Swachh Survekshan Survey, an annual assessment of the cleanliness and sanitation in Indian urban areas, is conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. This survey aims to drive a behavioral change in the management of municipal solid waste in the country’s urban local bodies.
The state government and the urban local bodies are expected to continue their efforts towards maintaining cleanliness and improving sanitation infrastructure in these cities. The focus will be on sustaining the progress made and pushing for further improvements in future surveys.
As the news of Kerala’s achievement spreads, it is hoped that this will inspire other states to take similar initiatives towards improving urban cleanliness and sanitation.
