Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai Retains Their Top Ranking at Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 Awards

The President of India, Mrs Droupadi Murmu, presented Swachh Survekshan awards at a function organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in New Delhi today. The event was also graced by the Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal and Minister of State (MoS), MoHUA, Mr Tokhan Sahu. 

Launched in 2016, Swachh Survekshan (Cleanliness Survey) is an annual survey that ranks Indian cities based on their sanitation and cleanliness. Since its launch, the program has expanded substantially, growing from an initial coverage of 73 cities to 4,589 cities in 2024

This year’s Swachh Survekshan marks a significant evolution in the survey’s design. For the first time, Urban Local Bodies have been classified into five distinct population-based categories ranging from ‘Very Small’ to ‘MillionPlus’ cities.

Cities were classified into five population categories: Very Small Cities (less than 20,000 Population), Small Cities (20,000 – 50,000 Population), Medium Cities (50,000 – 3,00,000 Population), Big Cities (3,00,000 – 10,00,000 Population), and MillionPlus Cities (more than 10,00,000 Population).

This strategic change acknowledges the diverse capacities and unique challenges faced by ULBs across India’s vast urban ecosystem, ensuring a more equitable and level playing field for all.

This year, a special category, the ‘Super Swachh League,’ has been introduced to recognise the 12 cities that have consistently demonstrated exceptional performance in the past three years (2021 to 2023).

The Swachh Survekshan 2024-2025 was guided by the theme “Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse”, emphasising the importance of circularity in waste management practices.

To foster the integration of cleanliness values in educational institutions and inspire young minds to adopt cleanliness and sustainability, assessments of sanitation infrastructure in schools were added as a component in the current Swachh Survekshan. Additionally, a special focus was placed on visible cleanliness and waste management at high-footfall tourist spots.

The competition among cities was based on ten key indicators: 1) Visible Cleanliness; 2) Segregation, Collection, and Transportation of Waste; 3) Solid Waste Management; 4) Access to Sanitation; 5) Used Water Management; 6) Mechanization of Desludging Services; 7) Advocacy for Swachhata; 8) Strengthening of Ecosystem and Institutional Parameters; 9) Overall Welfare of Sanitation Workers; and 10) Citizen Feedback and Grievance Redressal.

Awards were conferred upon the best-performing cities in each category, providing an opportunity for smaller cities to shine alongside established frontrunners such as Indore and Surat. At the ceremony, 43 National awards were presented, with a special recognition for Mahakumbh. 

In the Super Swachh League, Million Plus Cities (>10 Lakh) category, Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai and Vijayawada were the top performers. In the big cities, Noida, Chandigarh, Mysuru, Ujjain, Gandhinagar, and Guntur emerged on the leaderboard. New Delhi (NDMC), Tirupati, Ambikapur and Lonavala were the top four cities in the Medium Cities category. 

In Swachh Shehar (Clean City), Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow emerged as the top cities with a population greater than 1 million (10 lakh). Mira-Bhayandar, Bilaspur and Jamshedpur were the top Swachh Shehar with a population of 3-10 Lakh. 

Best Ganga Town was awarded to Prayagraj, while Secunderabad Cantonment was honoured as the Best Cantonment Board for its exemplary sanitation efforts. GVMC Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were declared Best SaifaiMitra Surakshit Shehar for their outstanding commitment to the safety and dignity of sanitation workers.

A special recognition was accorded to Prayagraj for its exceptional urban waste management during the Mahakumbh, the world’s largest congregation, which witnessed an estimated footfall of 66 crore people.

This year’s Swachh Survekshan not only refined and streamlined the framework for big cities but also simplified it for small cities, encouraging them to compete and climb the ladder of swachhata. The smaller cities found a level playing field with the big cities in the survey.

Following the ‘One City, One Award’ principle, the top-performing cities from each State were recognised as Promising Swachh Shehars. A total of 34 cities across various States and Union Territories earned this distinction, showcasing their notable progress in urban cleanliness and sanitation excellence. 

Speaking at the event, the President of India complimented the Ministry for promoting the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) approach and commended the waste-to-wealth memento presented to her. “Waste is best” is the mantra, and it gives strength to circularity in the economy”, she added.

The President said India’s cultural and spiritual consciousness has emphasised cleanliness since ancient times. The tradition of keeping our homes, places of worship, and the surroundings clean was an integral part of our lifestyle. Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi used to say, “Cleanliness is next to godliness”. He considered cleanliness to be the cornerstone of religion, spirituality, and civic life. 

She highlighted its role in empowering youth, generating green jobs, and creating entrepreneurial opportunities, engaging Self-Help Groups. “I am heartened to see that cities have embraced the principles of a circular economy and swachhata as part of our swabhav and sanskaar.

The President commended the cities below 1 lakh people that have established excellent standards of swachhata. She praised how the school interventions, initiatives for source segregation startups, and zero waste colonies are making the resolve for Swachh Bharat stronger. 

Launching the Swachh City Partnership initiative, Minister Manohar Lal emphasised the significance of peer learning. He stated that all 78 top-performing cities across all population categories will adopt and mentor 1 poor-performing city each from the respective States.

Following the mantra of each one, clean one, he said, “the winning cities will guide, handhold and lead the way for the others. It is time to bring the low-performing cities to the top.”

Announcing the Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation program, the Minister said, “This 1-year special program starting from Aug 15, 2025, will not only help fast-track legacy waste remediation and unlock massive urban space, but will also push the scientific waste processing capacity.”

The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Results Dashboard was digitally launched on the occasion, offering an interactive overview of the rankings and achievements.