City Cleanliness Awards: Indore's Seventh Triumph

Indore and Surat have been jointly awarded the title of the cleanest cities in India, while Maharashtra has been declared the cleanest state, according to the annual cleanliness rankings released by the Union government. The rankings take into account various factors such as door-to-door waste collection, waste segregation at source, cleanliness of public areas, clean water bodies, and citizen feedback.

For seven consecutive years, Indore has maintained its position as the cleanest city in the Swachh Survekshan Awards. Surat, which has consistently been in second place behind Indore for the past three years, has now taken the top spot for the first time. Both cities have achieved impressive milestones, including 100% door-to-door waste collection, 98% waste segregation at source, and 100% remediation of dumpsites.

First-Ever Tie: Indore and Surat Share Top Honor

In the category of cities with a population over 1 lakh, both Indore and Surat shared the first position. However, in the rankings of large cities with a population over 10 lakh, Indore secured the top spot while Surat followed closely at second place.

The evaluation process for the rankings considered several parameters including door-to-door waste collection, waste segregation, cleanliness of public areas, the presence of clean water bodies, and citizen feedback on the cleanliness of their respective cities.

This year's awards saw the first-ever tie for the top position, with both Indore and Surat sharing the honor. The third cleanest city in the country according to the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 was Navi Mumbai.

State-Level Achievements: Maharashtra Takes the Lead

Moving to the state level, Maharashtra emerged as the cleanest state with impressive statistics. The state achieved 89.24% door-to-door waste collection and 67.76% waste segregation at source. Madhya Pradesh secured the second position among states, with 90.59% door-to-door waste collection and 54.1% waste segregation.

Apart from the city and state rankings, other notable recognitions were awarded as well. Chandigarh received the accolade for having the best safety standards for sanitation workers, titled Safaimitra Surakshit Shehar. Varanasi was named the cleanest "Ganga town," while Sasvad in Maharashtra was declared the cleanest city with a population below 1 lakh. Mhow Cantonment took the crown for the cleanest cantonment in the country.

Bottom Five States: Cleanliness Challenges Persist

On the other end of the spectrum, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Nagaland, and Tripura were ranked the bottom five states in terms of cleanliness.

The Swachh Survekshan exercise has grown significantly over the years, covering a larger number of cities and urban local bodies. In the 2023 round, a total of 4,416 urban local bodies, 61 cantonments, and 88 Ganga towns were evaluated. The assessment process included 1.58 crore online citizen feedback and 19.82 lakh face-to-face views.

At the awards ceremony, President Droupadi Murmu emphasized the importance of waste management and the need to create wealth from waste. She highlighted the detrimental impact of garbage on health and commended the efforts of the Swachh Bharat Mission in addressing legacy dumpsites.

Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri acknowledged the progress made in waste processing, which has increased from 15-16% in 2014 to almost 76% today. He also noted the need to eliminate manual sewer cleaning, which poses risks to sanitation workers.

The recognition of Indore, Surat, and Maharashtra as the cleanest cities and state underscores the importance of maintaining cleanliness and sustainable waste management practices across the country.