Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 – Ahmedabad Tops as India’s Cleanest City

Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Latest News

• In a landmark shift in India’s cleanliness rankings, Ahmedabad has been declared the cleanest city in the country under the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, the annual sanitation survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). 
• This is the first time Ahmedabad has secured the top spot, as the consistent chart-topper Indore transitions into a newly created ‘Swachh Bharat Super League 1.0’, recognising its sustained excellence in urban sanitation.

About Swachh Survekshan

• Launched in 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), Swachh Survekshan is the world’s largest urban sanitation survey. It evaluates cities on multiple parameters, including:
  • Citizen feedback
  • Waste segregation and processing
  • Open defecation-free (ODF) status
  • Cleanliness in public areas
  • Municipal innovation and digital monitoring
• The 2024-25 edition of the survey covered over 4,500 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), with over 12 crore citizen responses, making it one of the most participatory surveys of its kind globally.

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Key Rankings and New Categories Introduced

• Top Cleanest Cities (Population >1 lakh)
  • Ahmedabad (Gujarat)
  • Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Surat (Gujarat)
  • Indore, which has topped the charts for six consecutive years, has now been elevated to the Swachh Bharat Super League 1.0 category, introduced to reward cities that have maintained exemplary standards for an extended period.
• Cleanest Ganga Towns
  • Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) – Retained its position as the cleanest Ganga town for the fourth consecutive year
  • Prayagraj and Bijnor also featured among the top three
• Cleanest Cities (Population <1 lakh)
  • Sasvad (Maharashtra) – Cleanest among cities with under 1 lakh population
  • Lonavala and Vita followed closely
• Best Performing States
  • Maharashtra ranked as the best-performing state overall
  • Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh followed as second and third respectively

Gujarat’s Remarkable Performance

• Gujarat’s cities made an impressive mark in the survey, with Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot ranking in the top 10 cleanest cities. The consistent investment in waste processing, mechanised road sweeping, and citizen engagement platforms has paid off.
• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has focused on:

• • Scientific processing of nearly 100% of its solid waste
  • Door-to-door waste collection across all wards
  • Citizen apps for cleanliness reporting and grievance redressal
  • These efforts contributed significantly to its ascent to the top rank this year.

Innovations in Survey 2024-25

• The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 introduced some key innovations:
  • AI-Based Tools for validation of cleanliness parameters
  • Swachhta League for Youth engagement
  • Special Emphasis on legacy waste management and city beautification
  • Star Rating for Garbage Free Cities (GFC) updated alongside Survekshan rankings
• The assessment also used real-time data from Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) to monitor sanitation activities in urban areas.

Recognition Beyond Rankings

• In addition to city and state rankings, special recognitions were awarded:
  • Cleanest Cantonment Board: Mhow (Madhya Pradesh)
  • Best Citizen Feedback Response: Chandigarh
  • Best Innovation in Sanitation: Navi Mumbai for circular economy initiatives
  • Cleanest State Capital: Bhopal

Implications for Urban Governance

• Swachh Survekshan has emerged not only as a cleanliness ranking tool but also as a key driver for competitive federalism, inspiring states and cities to enhance urban governance.
• The annual exercise has helped:
  • Institutionalise waste segregation and recycling
  • Improve behavioural change communication
  • Foster innovation and public-private partnerships in sanitation
• It has also catalysed job creation in the waste management sector and promoted entrepreneurship in circular economy ventures.

Source: IE | PIB