Thiruvananthapuram: Eight cities from Kerala have found a place in the list of the top 100 clean cities in the country. This is the first time in history that Kerala has achieved such a remarkable feat in the national Swachh Survekshan rankings, claimed Local Self-Government Minister M B Rajesh. He said that last year, not even a single municipality from the state had made it to the top 1,000, and that the latest success reflects the major strides made in waste management.

Out of Kerala’s 93 municipalities, 82 secured positions within the top 1,000. Mattannur Municipality bagged the Ministerial Award in the special category. The award was received by Mattannur Municipal chairman N Shajith and Minister M B Rajesh at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi. Thiruvananthapuram Corporation achieved the prestigious ‘Water Plus’ certification, becoming the first city in Kerala to get that. The award was given in recognition of efforts to eliminate open defecation and ensure effective wastewater treatment.

In terms of Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, 13 cities secured ODF certification, 77 achieved ODF Plus and 3 were rated ODF Plus Plus. In the Garbage-Free City Star Rating category, three municipalities received 3-star ratings while 20 secured 1-star ratings.

Municipalities from Kerala in the top 100 (National Rank):

  • Kochi – 50
  • Mattannur – 53
  • Thrissur – 58
  • Kozhikode – 70
  • Alappuzha – 80
  • Guruvayur – 82
  • Thiruvananthapuram – 89
  • Kollam – 93

Last year, Kochi had a national rank of 3963, Mattannur was at 1854 and Guruvayur at 2364. The highest rank secured by any Kerala municipality last year was 1370. This year, even the lowest rank among Kerala municipalities was 1385, showing consistent improvement. Until now, no municipality in Kerala had ever received a star rating. This year, 23 municipalities achieved star ratings. Alappuzha, Shornur and Pattambi municipalities were awarded 3-star ratings.

Among Swachh certifications, Thiruvananthapuram Corporation earned the highest — the Water Plus rating. Kochi, Kalpetta and Guruvayur municipalities achieved ODF++ status, while 77 others secured ODF+ certification.

Minister Rajesh said this huge leap forward is the result of the state's intense implementation of the ‘Malinyamuktham Nava Keralam’ (Waste-Free New Kerala) campaign, particularly following the Brahmapuram fire incident. Each of these awards is a recognition of the collective effort made by the state in the waste management sector, he added.