diff --git a/src/controllers/departmentController.js b/src/controllers/departmentController.js
index b8e277c4..04897cc7 100644
--- a/src/controllers/departmentController.js
+++ b/src/controllers/departmentController.js
@@ -631,40 +631,43 @@ exports.addDepartment = async (request, reply) => {
       }
   };
 
-  const getLocationsByZone = async (zone) => {
-    try {
-      const result = await City.aggregate([
-        {
-          $match: {
-            zone: { $regex: `^${zone}$`, $options: "i" }, // Case-insensitive match for the zone
-          },
+ const getLocationsByZone = async (zone) => {
+  try {
+    const result = await City.aggregate([
+      {
+        $match: {
+          zone: { $regex: `^${zone}$`, $options: "i" }, // Case-insensitive match for the zone
         },
-        {
-          $unwind: "$location" // Unwind the location field if it is an array
+      },
+      {
+        $unwind: "$location" // Unwind the location field if it is an array
+      },
+      {
+        $group: {
+          _id: "$zone", // Group by zone
+          locations: { 
+            $addToSet: { 
+              $toUpper: { $trim: { input: "$location" } } // Convert to uppercase and trim whitespace
+            } 
+          }, 
         },
-        {
-          $group: {
-            _id: "$zone", // Group by zone
-            locations: { $addToSet: { $toUpper: "$location" } }, // Collect unique locations in uppercase
-          },
-        },
-        {
-          $project: {
-            _id: 0, // Exclude the _id field
-            zone: "$_id", // Include zone
-            locations: 1 // Just return the locations field as is
-          },
+      },
+      {
+        $project: {
+          _id: 0, // Exclude the _id field
+          zone: "$_id", // Include zone
+          locations: 1 // Return locations
         },
-      ]);
-  
-      return result;
-    } catch (err) {
-      console.error(err);
-      throw new Error("Error fetching locations.");
-    }
-  };
-  
-  
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    return result;
+  } catch (err) {
+    console.error(err);
+    throw new Error("Error fetching locations.");
+  }
+};
+
   
   
   exports.getLocationsByZone = async (req, reply) => {