Manipur's Jiribam town was named the "Most Promising Town" at the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024–25, which were presented in New Delhi on Thursday. Jiribam, which is roughly 220 kilometers west of Imphal, won an award in the Northeast region's cleanest small city category, demonstrating its remarkable advancements in cleanliness and sanitation.
Jiribam, which ranked first among 21 small towns (those with fewer than 20,000 residents) in the Northeast, distinguished itself as an example of community-driven cleaning efforts among Manipur's 27 urban local bodies.
Out of 2,035 municipalities in the same category, it scored an excellent 174th position nationally. RK Dinesh, the principal secretary of the Manipur Housing and Urban Development Department; Ng Uttam Singh, the director of MAHUD; S Shanti Devi, the chairperson of the Jiribam Municipal Council (JMC); and M Surjit, the executive officer of JMC, accepted the award together on behalf of the state.
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and President Droupadi Murmu graced the esteemed occasion. Executive Officer M Surjit remarked that Jiribam is the only town in Manipur to be designated as both an Open Defecation Free (ODF) and a three-star Garbage Free City (GFC), citing the town's constant performance in the yearly cleanliness surveys.
“Apart from people’s support, the relentless efforts of our sanitary workers made this success possible,” he added. Following the award ceremony, the Manipur delegation also participated in a high-level brainstorming session with the Union Minister and other state representatives to review and discuss the progress of centrally sponsored schemes under the Ministry.