BHUBANESWAR: Odisha took a significant leap in Swachh Survekshan 2023 ranking, consolidating its position as the fourth best state in terms of cleanliness, even as the performance of state’s urban bodies remained partially discouraging with just three cities - capital Bhubaneswar, Puri and Balasore - making it to top 100 cities having a population of 1 lakh and above in the national ranking.
While no city from the state found a place in the top 20 big cities, Chikiti NAC was ranked 12 among cities having a population below 1 lakh. Bhanjanagar NAC was also ranked 79 among small cities in the national ranking. Both Berhampur and Rourkela which were in the top 100 cities having a population of more than 1 lakh in Swachh Survekshan last year are not on the list this time.
Odisha which was in 10th place in 2021 and ninth in 2022, improved its rank by five positions leaving Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh behind. Maharashtra bagged the top spot, while Madhya Pradesh, that had secured first position last year, stood second. Chhattisgarh ranked third in the list.
Capital Bhubaneswar too made a significant stride in the national ranking of cities with population of 1 lakh and above, improving its position from 80 in 2022 to 34 in 2023 - a leap of 46 ranks. “The Capital city has also received an impressive 3-star rating for being a garbage-free city which is a testament to our collective efforts in ensuring cleanliness and hygiene,”said Mayor Sulochana Das, who along along with Municipal Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange received the clean city award for the Smart city from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in New Delhi.
Apart from Bhubaneswar, the Puri Municipality and Balasore also figured at rank 62 and rank 99 among big cities. However, performance of both Rourkela and Berhampur downgraded. Rourkela that had been placed at 45 rank last year, bringing itself the tag of state’s cleanest city, secured a dismal 119 position in this year’s ranking. Similarly, Berhampur that had been ranked 90 last year, found itself at rank 111 this year among the large cities.
clean markers