Jalukie Shows the Way- On Swachh Survekshan Awards

Even as Nagaland faces a significant waste conundrum with people continuing to litter public spaces unabated, particularly in urban areas like Dimapur and Kohima, thus contributing to environmental pollution and public health hazards, Jalukie town has brought a glimmer of hope by receiving the Promising Swachh Shehar Award in recognition of its sanitation efforts. As many as 34 cities from various states and union territories were recognised under this category. President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25 at a ceremony held in New Delhi on Thursday. This year, a total of 78 awards across four categories were presented to cities for their exemplary performance in sanitation. In the Super Swachh League category with more than 10 lakh population, Indore secured the top position again, retaining India’s cleanest city title for the eighth consecutive year, followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai, while Ahmedabad was named India’s cleanest big city (population over 10 lakh), followed by Bhopal and Lucknow. It may be mentioned that Swachh Survekshan is an annual cleanliness survey to assess cities based on waste management practices, including segregation, collection and disposal.

By making it to the list of promising clean cities, Jalukie has proven that relentless efforts won’t go to waste. It is no stranger to awards, with the Joint Forest Management Committee of Old Jalukie village receiving the India Biodiversity Award in 2014 for its community forest conservation efforts before winning the Governor’s Award and the Government of Nagaland Forest Department Award in the following year. This small town is in the news again for good reasons – this time for its sustainable waste management practices, which contribute to a cleaner environment, something other towns and villages can emulate. It can’t be achieved without active community involvement. Dimapur is a perfect example of this. Interestingly, the latest nation-wide cleanliness survey has declared the commercial hub as “Clean City within Nagaland” with a population of more than one lakh. It’s encouraging after being ranked among the “dirtiest cities” in India in the Swachh Survekshan survey 2020, but it doesn’t reflect the real picture. People continue to litter drains and streets. Waste piles up at undesignated dumping sites and roadsides despite DMC’s door-to-door waste collection initiative. On top of that, the National Green Tribunal has once again pulled up the DMC for failing to comply with its previous orders to relocate the dumping site at Sunrise Colony, Burma Camp, amid environmental and public health concerns besides several other measures. The mess we are witnessing in urban settlements like Dimapur and Kohima is a reflection of sheer apathy from the public as well as the concerned authorities. They should learn a lesson or two from Jalukie.