Smallest state in cleanliness: Puducherry

For the Puducherry administration and its residents, cleanliness is next to godliness. No stone has been left unturned to keep the Union Territory clean and safe. All households use clean fuel for cooking. Another rare difference is that all schools have toilets for girls.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a flagship program of the Central Government, the Union Territory has been able to provide tap connections and access to clean water to all households. Puducherry is planning to get NABL accreditation/accreditation for its water quality testing laboratories and to test all drinking water sources on a mission mode. It is also planning for effective treatment and reuse of gray water from households and is actively working towards water source sustainability. Despite the efforts of the administration, the Union Territory is still not completely open defecation free and lags behind in solid waste management. The biggest challenge is that the four regions that make up the union territory – Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe – are geographically separated from each other.

In addition, Puducherry is continuously working towards desilting the ponds and rejuvenating its local water bodies, which is important for drinking water supply schemes. It has 84 irrigation tanks and more than 500 ponds, which together serve as a groundwater recharging system, drinking water and a lifeline for agriculture.