In the latest Swachh Survekshan Awards-2023, the NDMC area clinched the title of the cleanest city within Union territories, with New Delhi securing the third position among 35 capital regions. Indore and Surat emerged as joint winners of the cleanest city in India, a notable seventh consecutive victory for Indore and a first-time shared honor for Surat.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards at the Bharat Mandapam, marking another milestone in the quest for cleanliness and sanitation. Maintaining its standing from the previous year, Navi Mumbai secured the third spot once again in this year’s competition.
In the million-plus population category, West Bengal witnessed three of its cities occupying the lower echelons of the cleanliness rankings.
Haora (Howrah) claimed the bottom position, accompanied by Asansol and Kolkata closely trailing as the cities with the least favorable performance on cleanliness indicators. Meanwhile, Faridabad in Haryana and Madurai in Tamil Nadu secured the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, as among the least clean cities on the list.
Within the population category of above 100,000, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) claimed the 90th position out of 446 cities. In the same category, the New Delhi Municipal Council area achieved the seventh rank, distinct from its third-place standing in the list of capital cities.
Top 10 Cleanest Cities:
- Indore- Madhya Pradesh.
- Surat- Gujarat.
- Navi Mumbai- Maharashtra.
- Visakhapatnam- Andhra Pradesh.
- Bhopal- Madhya Pradesh.
- Vijayawada- Andhra Pradesh.
- New Delhi (NDMC)- Delhi.
- Tirupati- Andhra Pradesh.
- Greater Hyderabad- Telangana.
- Pune- Maharashtra.
Bottom 3:
- Kolkata- West Bengal.
- Asansol- West Bengal.
- Haora- West Bengal.
Top States:
- Maharashtra.
- Madhya Pradesh.
- Chattisgarh.
At the heart of the Union government’s Swachh Bharat mission is the Swachh Survekshan survey, introduced as a major initiative during the initial years of the Narendra Modi government. In its eighth edition, the survey deployed 3,000 assessors across 4,500 cities, with 3,970 of them having populations fewer than 100,000.
These assessors meticulously evaluated a city’s performance on 46 parameters, encompassing aspects such as waste collection, the accessibility of inclusive toilets, and the effectiveness of plastic waste management.
President Murmu, during the unveiling of the Swachh Survekshan-2023 dashboard at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi, emphasized the commitment outlined in the G20 Leaders’ Delhi Declaration.
This commitment involves bolstering environmentally responsible waste management, achieving significant reductions in waste generation by 2030, and emphasizing the significance of zero waste initiatives.
Commending the choice of the theme “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle” for the upcoming 2024 cleanliness survey, she lauded the adoption of circular waste management in the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
President Murmu highlighted the effectiveness of the circular economy process, showcasing the benefits of recycling and reusing items for sustainable development.
The Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, declared that every city in India has achieved open-defecation-free status. He attributed this success to the transformation of the Swachh Bharat Mission, evolving from a government initiative into a Jan Andolan, or a people’s movement.
Initiated with humble beginnings in 2016, the Swachh Survekshan now boasts the participation of 447 cities and urban local bodies in its 8th edition. Minister Puri highlighted the extensive reach of the survey, noting feedback received from a substantial 12 crore people.
Securing the title of the cleanest city within Union territories, the NDMC area stood out, with New Delhi also clinching the third position among 35 capital regions.
In the category of smaller cities boasting populations of fewer than 100,000 residents, Saswad in Maharashtra emerged as the recipient of the cleanest city award. Following closely were Patan in Chhattisgarh and Lonavala in Maharashtra.
Varanasi and Prayagraj earned recognition as the cleanest Ganga towns, while the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh garnered acclaim as the best-performing states in cleanliness.
At the state level, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh took the lead, while Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh found themselves at the bottom of the cleanliness rankings.
Emphasizing the evolving landscape of waste management, Minister Puri noted the significant increase in waste processing from 15-16% in 2014 to an impressive 76% in 2023. He expressed optimism, stating that within the next 2-3 years, the goal is to achieve 100% waste processing, marking a substantial stride in the realm of cleanliness and sustainability.
Chandigarh, a Union territory, earned recognition as the best “Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher,” a designation for cities demonstrating sufficient institutional capacity, manpower, and equipment, coupled with safe working conditions for sanitation workers.
The goal is for all Indian cities to be declared Safaimitra Surakshit by March 2024 under the National Action for Mechanised Sanitation Ecosystem Scheme by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
The theme for the 2023 Swachh Survekshan awards was “Waste to Wealth for Garbage-Free Cities.” Evaluation criteria included a total of 9,500 marks, with 53% based on service level progress, 26% on the certification of cleanliness for public spaces and toilets, and 23% on resident feedback.
Surat’s remarkable transformation from grappling with the plague in 1994 to becoming the cleanest city showcased the city’s resilience and commitment. Despite facing challenges from migration and industrialization, Surat integrated infrastructure with sanitation and waste management facilities.
Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal credited the success to a mass movement for cleanliness, effective monitoring through an integrated command and control center, and consistent performance across various parameters.
However, controversies arose over the rankings of Bengal cities, with Kolkata’s deputy mayor, Atin Ghosh, suggesting political motivations behind the report.
On a broader scale, Bharti Chaturvedi, founder of Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, highlighted the awards’ role in fostering healthy competition among cities and states, serving as a platform for peer learning.
Notably, western Indian cities like Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai outperformed their northern counterparts, emphasizing the need for a decentralized approach to waste management, while smaller cities consistently surpassed their larger counterparts.
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