Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, the world’s largest urban sanitation survey, has once again spotlighted India’s cleanest cities with Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai securing the top three positions. These cities have topped the newly introduced Super Swachh League, a category designed to recognize consistent excellence in urban cleanliness and sanitation.
This year’s survey, conducted under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), brought in a wave of innovation, inclusivity, and citizen engagement, aiming to make urban India cleaner, greener, and more sustainable.
Swachh Survekshan 2024-25: Top Cities and Awards
Indore has continued its streak by securing the first position, followed closely by Surat and Navi Mumbai. Vijayawada took the fourth spot, reinforcing southern India’s strong performance in sanitation efforts. Meanwhile, cities like Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow have been declared top Swachh Shehars in the newly introduced New Generation category, highlighting the growth and adoption of advanced sanitation practices.
Prayagraj received the prestigious Best Ganga Town award for its efforts in cleaning and maintaining the holy river. The Secunderabad Cantonment Board was also honoured for exemplary sanitation performance. In addition, Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were recognised for their commitment to sanitation worker safety and dignity, further underlining the human-centric approach of this year’s survey.
Innovations in Survey Methodology
Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 introduced several changes to make the survey more inclusive, competitive, and transparent. A major innovation was the One City, One Award principle, ensuring fair representation and avoiding award monopolisation. This year’s framework added ten new parameters and expanded the population categories to five, allowing equitable evaluation of cities, regardless of size.
Thirty-four cities were declared Promising Swachh Shehars—a new recognition category for cities that have shown significant improvements. These changes not only encouraged healthy competition but also gave smaller cities a level playing field to showcase their progress.
Special Initiatives and Programmes
Union Minister Manohar Lal launched the Swachh City Partnership, a unique mentorship programme that connects 78 high-performing cities with underperforming ones within the same state. This initiative is expected to foster the exchange of ideas, innovations, and solutions in urban sanitation.
Additionally, the Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Programme was announced to begin on August 15. The year-long mission aims to clear legacy waste dumpsites and promote scientific waste processing across cities. The programme will help reclaim valuable urban land and upgrade sanitation infrastructure—a key step towards achieving cleaner and more liveable cities.
Leadership, Citizens, and the 3R Principle
President Droupadi Murmu, while addressing the Swachh Survekshan event, lauded the role of leadership and citizen participation in driving the Swachh Bharat Mission forward. She highlighted the importance of the 3R principles—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and how embracing the circular economy could generate green jobs, reduce environmental degradation, and empower India’s youth.
She also acknowledged the contributions of schools, startups, and zero-waste colonies, encouraging more citizen-led initiatives under the theme “Waste is Best.” Civic engagement remains a core pillar of the Swachh Bharat Mission, with the government aiming to make sanitation a people-driven movement.
Recognising Civic Bodies and Urban Leadership
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) received the Super Swachh League City award in the population category of 50,000 to 3 lakh. The NDMC chairman called the award a “milestone in civic achievement,” and committed to raising the bar for urban cleanliness in the capital.
In contrast, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was ranked 31st among cities with a population of over 10 lakh. Ghaziabad performed significantly better, ranking 11th in the same category. Meanwhile, Greater Mumbai and Chennai failed to make it to the top tier, suggesting room for improvement in India’s largest metros.
Digital Push: Launch of Swachh Survekshan Dashboard
To promote transparency and accessibility, the Ministry launched the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Results Dashboard, which offers real-time access to city rankings, performance indicators, and award categories. This interactive platform allows citizens, urban planners, and policymakers to explore city-wise performance data and identify areas for improvement.
A Step Forward in India’s Sanitation Journey
The Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 reflects India’s evolving urban landscape and its growing focus on sustainability, inclusivity, and citizen engagement. With innovations like the Super Swachh League, mentorship programs, and digital tools, the survey is no longer just a cleanliness ranking—it’s a blueprint for urban transformation.
As India moves towards achieving the goals of Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, initiatives like this reinforce the importance of local leadership, data-driven decision-making, and collective action in building a cleaner, healthier, and more dignified urban future.
