Raipur | Bilha in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district has been declared the country's cleanest town with a population of less than 20,000, as per the government's annual cleanliness survey.
Bilaspur city was ranked second in the 3 to10 lakh population category, while Kumhari municipality in the state stood third among towns with a population between 20,000 and 50,000, a state government release said.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the 'Swachh Survekshan' awards at a ceremony held in New Delhi's Vigyan Bhawan.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao who also holds Urban Administration and Development portfolio, along with mayors, chairpersons and officials of the local bodies of Bilha, Bilaspur and Kumhari received the awards, it said.
Bilha Nagar Panchayat won the top award in the Very Small Cities category.
Further, three urban local bodies in Chhattisgarh made it to the newly-introduced Super Swachhata League (SSL) category: Ambikapur Municipal Corporation in the category of cities with populations ranging from 50,000 to 3 lakh, and Patan Nagar Panchayat and Bishrampur Nagar Panchayat in the category for cities with population below 20,000.
Additionally, Raipur, the state capital, was recognized as Chhattisgarh's "Promising Swachh City", highlighting its consistent efforts and future potential in urban sanitation, the release said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated all the winning urban bodies and said it was a proud moment for the state.
"These achievements reflect the collective commitment of citizens, civic bodies and the administration towards cleanliness. It will inspire other towns and cities in Chhattisgarh to aim higher in their pursuit of becoming clean, beautiful urban spaces," Sai said.
Deputy CM Arun Sao said the awards were a testament to "our sustained efforts toward sanitation."
"From local urban governments to the state and central leadership, all stakeholders are relentlessly working towards creating cleaner, smarter, and more livable cities through continuous innovation," he added.
