cities of Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow deemed cleanest under revised rating system; Indore advances to 'Super Swachh League'
**India's Cleanest Cities Announced: Ahmedabad Tops the Chart in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25**
The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards, an annual event organised under the Centre's Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, recently honoured India's cleanest cities. The awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, recognised the efforts of 4,500 cities, a significant increase from the 73 urban local bodies covered in the 2016 exercise.
The city of Ahmedabad secured the top spot in the one-million population category, with an impressive score of 12,079 points out of a total of 12,500. Ahmedabad was followed by Bhopal and Lucknow, which received 12,067 and 12,001 points, respectively.
To qualify for the Super Swachh League (SSL), a city must have been in the top three of its population category for three consecutive years in the Swachh Survekshan rankings. This year, cities such as Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Vijayawada, and Noida were included in this elite category. Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow were among the cities that demonstrated sustained top cleanliness performances and were featured in the SSL.
Mumbai managed the 33rd rank with a score of 7,419 points, while Bengaluru and Chennai ranked 36th and 38th, respectively. West Bengal only got one single mention this time, with Baidyabati, a municipality in Hooghly district, being named as a promising city. However, Kolkata was not ranked among the top 40 cities in its category, and its report card was not available on the dashboard.
In addition to the SSL, the awards also recognised cities in various population-based categories and special recognitions. The New Delhi Municipal Council, Ambikapur, Lonavla, and Tirupati were selected for the SSL in the 50,000-300,000 population category. Hyderabad, Pimpri Chinchwad, and Pune secured the sixth, seventh, and eighth positions, respectively.
The Centre also announced an accelerated dumpsite remediation programme to help cities improve their cleanliness efforts. Moreover, the Swachh City Partnership initiative will be launched, where 78 top-performing cities will mentor one poor-performing city each from the respective states. This initiative aims to foster a collaborative approach towards achieving sustainable urban cleanliness and sanitation.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards at the function, emphasising the importance of cleanliness and sanitation in promoting a healthy and prosperous India. The Swachh Survekshan awards continue to inspire cities across the country to strive for excellence in urban cleanliness and sanitation.
- The Indian government's Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban has a focus not only on cleanliness but also on cricket, as the city of Indore, which consistently ranks high in the Swachh Survekshan, boasts a renowned cricket stadium.
- The Swachh Survekshan awards, as a part of India's general news and policy-and-legislation, have had a significant impact on politics, with cities striving for top cleanliness performances to gain recognition and support from the Centre.
- The Indian government's Swachh City Partnership initiative, aimed at helping cities with poor cleanliness performances, has political implications, as it promotes collaboration and mentorship between cities, fostering a shared responsibility for sustainable urban cleanliness and sanitation.
