IMPHAL — Jiribam town has become the first urban local body (ULB) in Manipur to receive national-level recognition for cleanliness for six consecutive years, from 2020 to 2025–26, officials said.
Jiribam Municipal Council (JMC) Executive Officer Moirangthem Surjit Singh said the town received the latest recognition at the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26, earning the titles of ‘Promising Swachh Shehar of Manipur 2025–26’ and the state’s first ‘Swachhta City’.
The awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on November 11, Surjit said.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu were also present at the event, organised annually by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban. Swachh Survekshan evaluates cleanliness and sanitation standards across urban areas in the country.
The award was received by JMC Executive Officer Surjit Singh, Sanitary Inspector Sorokhaibam Linthoingambi Devi, IT and ME Department official Sandham Lonica Devi, and SBM-MIS representative Th Shyamanansa Singh.
Jiribam is also the first town in Manipur to secure both the 3-Star Garbage-Free City certification and Open Defecation Free Plus-Plus (ODF++) status, reflecting its progress in waste management and sanitation.
In the 2024–25 edition of Swachh Survekshan, Jiribam received the ‘Most Promising Town’ recognition, securing the top position among towns with populations below 20,000 in the North Eastern Region. It also ranked 174th among 2,035 towns nationally.
Earlier, Jiribam was recognised as the cleanest small city in the North East Zone among towns with populations below 15,000 in the 2022 and 2023 editions.
Congratulating the JMC on the achievement, Director of Municipal Administration, Housing and Urban Development (MAHUD) Ng Jogendra Khumancha said the recognition was a proud moment for Manipur and a testament to the commitment, collective effort and dedication of the municipal council towards improving urban sanitation, cleanliness and civic responsibility.
He noted that Jiribam is one of the 27 ULBs in Manipur and falls under the population category of below 20,000.
The achievement demonstrates that consistent efforts, effective local leadership and active community participation can make a meaningful difference in advancing urban cleanliness, irrespective of a town’s size, the Director added.