Indore Named ‘Cleanest City’ in India for Seventh Time, Surat Joins as Joint Winner

Indore and Surat have been jointly declared as the ‘cleanest cities’ in India in the Swachh Survekshan Awards-2023. This is the seventh consecutive time that Indore has received this accolade, while Surat has claimed the top position for the first time. The awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at the Bharat Mandapam. Navi Mumbai retained its third position from the previous year’s competition.

In contrast, three cities in West Bengal, Haora, Asansol, and Kolkata, ranked the lowest in the million-plus population category for cleanliness. Faridabad in Haryana and Madurai in Tamil Nadu were also among the worst-performing cities. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) secured the 90th position out of 446 cities, while the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area ranked seventh.

The Swachh Survekshan survey is a crucial component of the Swachh Bharat mission initiated by the government. Over 3,000 assessors evaluated the performance of 4,500 cities across 46 parameters. The theme for this year’s survey is ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle‘. President Murmu praised the adoption of circular waste management and the importance of recycling and reusing items for sustainable development.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, highlighted the success of the Swachh Bharat Mission, which has transformed into a people’s movement. He mentioned that every city in India is now open-defecation-free. The rankings also recognized the cleanest Ganga towns, Varanasi and Prayagraj, and the best-performing states, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh.

Chandigarh was awarded the title of the best ‘Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher’, which signifies a city with proper institutional capacity, manpower, and equipment for sanitation workers. The Swacch Survekshan awards, while promoting healthy competition among cities and states, also serve as a platform for peer learning.