This refers to the news report ‘Panaji wins cleanest city title at national awards’ (TGE, July 18). After the devastation of Panaji city during the Smart City Works project for over two years, with dug-up roads, heaped-up rubble, incomplete drainage works and overflowing sewage, it was a pleasant surprise to read that Panaji city was adjudged the cleanest among small cities in the country with a population of 50,000 to 2 lakh under the Swachh Survekshan awards 2024-25, and a 7-star rating for a Garbage Free City (GFC) and Open Defecation ratings.
While it redounds to the credit of the Corporation of the City of Panaji (CCP) for its remarkable performance and recovery, it is surprising that the city’s marketplace and fish market in particular, which reeks of the odour of fish and iced water that overflows onto the streets, have escaped the attention of the assessing committee members while judging for cleanliness.
