changes

src/controllers/departmentController.js

@@ -645,14 +645,18 @@ exports.addDepartment = async (request, reply) => {
       {
         $group: {
           _id: "$zone", // Group by zone
-            locations: { $addToSet: { $toUpper: "$location" } }, // Collect unique locations in uppercase
+          locations: { 
+            $addToSet: { 
+              $toUpper: { $trim: { input: "$location" } } // Convert to uppercase and trim whitespace
+            } 
+          }, 
         },
       },
       {
         $project: {
           _id: 0, // Exclude the _id field
           zone: "$_id", // Include zone
-            locations: 1 // Just return the locations field as is
+          locations: 1 // Return locations
         },
       },
     ]);
@@ -662,8 +666,7 @@ exports.addDepartment = async (request, reply) => {
     console.error(err);
     throw new Error("Error fetching locations.");
   }
-  };
-  
+};