Let us climb the cleanliness ladder’ seems to be the message from the Thane Municipal Corporation. The civic body of the satellite city, which has witnessed a drop in its Swachh Survekshan ranking, has appointed a new consultant to help the city keep clean and climb up the ranks. Swachh Survekshan is an annual sanitation/cleanliness ranking survey. Thane’s rank was 28 in 2021, which dropped to 44 in 2022.

Now there will be efforts made to improve solid waste management and efficiency in every way. We want citizens to be equally invested. Corporations can up the ante by publicising widely at which rank one’s city stands and instil ambition, drive and will in people by saying we are in this together. But, it is the citizens that can help cities climb the ranking.