Not a single city from Odisha in top 30 clean cities in country!

Disappointment for Odisha! None of its cities have found a place among the top 30 list of cleanest cities in the country. For the seventh consecutive time, Indore of Madhya Pradesh was adjudged the cleanest city in India. Surat of Gujarat also shared the cleanest city award with Indore.  

The Central Government had carried out its annual cleanliness survey and its results were announced on Thursday. The winners received the ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023’ from President Droupadi Murmu at an event organised by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry in New Delhi.  

In ‘Swachh Survekshan’, Bhubaneswar has been ranked 34th. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation bagged the Swachh City award and the first water plus award.

However, denizens have raised objections citing that garbage is piling up in various parts of the city as it is not cleared often while many areas are at the receiving end of the foul smell from the rotting garbage. 

Dilip Patra, a resident of Bhubaneswar, alleged that garbage heaps are still found in some colonies while at other places drains and gutters are not cleaned and remain clogged for months together.”   

However, BMC Mayor Sulochana Das beamed a smile of happiness, saying proudly that Bhubaneswar has bagged the ‘Swachh Survekshan’ award.

“In the Swachh Survekshan previous year, Bhubaneswar was ranked 80th but this year, its rank is 34th. It is a matter of happiness. Besides, Bhubaneswar was awarded as the first water plus city and garbage-free city,” she added.