Sikkim: Gangtok and Mangan win top honors for cleanliness in Swachh Survekshan-2023

Gangtok Municipal Corporation (GMC) and Mangan Nagar Panchayat were honored with prestigious awards in the State Category at the Swachh Survekshan-2023 Award Ceremony. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) at Bharat Mandalam, New Delhi, witnessed the presence of the President Droupadi Murmu and Hardeep Singh Puri, the Union Minister for MoHUA.

Swachh Survekshan, an annual cleanliness survey conducted by an independent third-party agency under the MOHUA, plays a pivotal role in ranking various Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) across the country. This year's theme, "Waste to Wealth," emphasized not only the visual cleanliness of cities but also the waste processing capacities of ULBs, alongside engaging the public and self-help groups in fostering cleanliness and sanitation.

A total of 4416 urban local bodies nationwide underwent assessment in the 8th edition of Swachh Survekshan-2023. In Sikkim, the survey took place in August 2023, covering all seven urban local bodies, including Gangtok Municipal Corporation, Namchi Municipal Council, Gyalshing, Mangan, Rangpo, Singtam, and Nayabazar-Jorethang Nagar Panchayats.

M.T. Sherpa, Secretary, Urban Development Department, Government of Sikkim and Nell Bahadur Chettri, Mayor of GMC,  Tshering Palden Bhutia, Deputy Mayor of GMC, Norkit Lepcha, President of Mangan Nagar Panchayat and Jigme Wangchuk Bhutia, State Mission Director, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) were present at the ceremony to receive the Swachh Survekshan-2023 Awards. Elected members and officials from Urban Local Bodies also attended the event.