Sulthan Bathery: The journey from an ammunition depot to Kerala’s cleanest town

When we zoomed into Sultan Bathery town, the hilly eastern gateway to Wayanad, the clean roads, spotless footpaths and potted flowering plants hanging from the railings of the roads heralded a welcome. Sultan Bathery is currently ranked as the cleanest town in Kerala, sans stench and garbage on the roads and streets. So, if you go scouting for a toffee wrapper, a piece of paper or a single pile of garbage in the streets of Sultan Bathery, you will be disappointed.

It forms an ideal base to visit Edakkal Caves, Jain Temple, with its exquisite carvings, Chethlayam Falls and Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary. It was once known as Ganapathivattam, or the circle of Lord Ganapathi. The Sree Maha Ganapati temple is the only reminder of its past. Reminiscent of its rather unromantic past as an ammunition depot, Sultan Bathery evokes images of marching armies, arms and battles. Its name changed after Tipu Sultan marched in with his troops and used the 13th-century Jain temple here as an ammunition depot. Over a period of time, Sultan Battery became Sultan Bathery. Bathery is a corruption of battery.

Bougainvillaea plants on the pavement

From an ammunition depot, Sultan Bathery has evolved to become Kerala’s cleanest town and first spit-free zone. The genesis of the cleaning drive started a couple of years ago when the Municipal Council headed by CK Sahadevan took over the reign of the civic body. As part of the government’s litter-free campaign, several areas under the Sultan Bathery Municipality were cleaned.

The drive to clear the town of garbage kickstarted with the cleaning of all the clogged drains. Even the waste that had accumulated at the same spot for two decades was removed during the cleaning-up operation. The next measure was the ban on plastic.

This was followed by a round-the-clock vigil maintained by the Municipal Chairperson, Councillors and civic employees to nab miscreants dumping garbage in public places under the cover of darkness. Local people, traders, auto and taxi drivers also joined the bandwagon. The joint initiative succeeded and waste dumping became a rarity. 

After bagging the tag of the cleanest town, the civic body imposed a fine of Rs 500 for spitting in public as per Section 341 of the Kerala Municipalities Act. The same amount of fine was imposed for blowing nose, open urination and open defecation in the municipal town and public places.  “Offenders were also slapped with a fine for burning plastic in public places. On the tourism front, all hoteliers have banned the use of plastic bottles and also encouraged the use of cloth bags, paper bags, and glass bottles in the destination,” says Shylesh, Secretary, Wayanad Tourism Organisation (WTO). “Post Covid, the awareness of waste disposal and the need for a clean, green environment was intensified. The imposition of fines for littering, dumping of waste, and spitting in public places inculcated a civic sense among the residents,” says Vancheeswaran, President of WTO.

A notice warning people not to litter on the street

“Very soon, the level of consciousness among residents and a high degree of public involvement helped us in achieving our mission towards a clean, green town. To intensify the efforts to make the town and its suburbs litter-free and spit-free measures were taken to install boards with cleanliness messages along the cleaned roads and CCTV cameras fixed on both sides of the road,” explained TK Raghavan, Chairman, Sultan Bathery Municipality.

The impeccable cleanliness can be attributed to the responsible and responsive public, change in people’s mindset and an army of workers like Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) working as key allies in the city’s successful cleanliness drive. They came forward to flag any protest if they saw garbage strewn around or someone littering in public. The cleaning operation starts at 2 am and ends at 7 am. The second round of cleaning operation starts in the evening.

Another feather in the cap of organisers is the removal of all banners, flags and other display items set up in connection with political meetings within 24 hours after the function. Plans are also on the anvil to start a recycling plant. Another interesting move is that a visitor’s book is kept in the public washroom to record comments and feedback about the cleanliness maintained in the toilets.

One of the beautification measures is the potted plants hanging from the railings in front of shops. Various species of flowers and plants such as lantana, ground orchids, bougainvillea, hibiscus, roses, and honeysuckle, arranged in more than 900 pots on both sides of the road lend a charm to the town. The shopkeepers ensure to take care of them.

“The Sultan Bathery Municipality in association with Haritha Karma Sena (HKS), has launched an innovative floriculture project to attract tourists to the town known for its cleanliness. The initiative launched as part of the ‘Happy Happy Sultan Bathery’, envisages popularising the ‘happy culture’ of the civic body across the State,” explained TK Ramesh, Municipal Chairman. “It also aims at a sustainable income for HKS members who keep the town clean. As part of the campaign, seeds of three types of marigold plants were sown on two acres of land. Seeds of other flowering plants such as sunflower and gomphrena would be planted here. The civic body would maintain the garden while an entry fee would be collected from visitors. The income thus earned would be disbursed among members,” added Ramesh. The waste management model of Sultan Bathery will surely bring transition in the days to come in other locations in Kerala as well.

All photos by special arrangement.

Susheela Nair is an independent food, travel and lifestyle writer and photographer contributing articles, content and images to several national publications besides organising seminars and photo exhibitions. Her writings span a wide spectrum including travel portals and guide books, brochures and coffee table books.