Why in news?
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs released the results of the Swachh Survekshan 2024‑25 in mid‑July 2025. This cleanliness survey rates cities on sanitation and waste management.
Background
Swachh Survekshan, launched in 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission, assesses urban areas using parameters such as source segregation, processing of waste, open defecation free status and citizen feedback. Cities compete to improve their rankings.
Highlights
- Hall of Fame: Indore, having won the cleanest city title multiple times, was moved out of ranking to a Hall of Fame, allowing other cities to showcase progress.
- Super Swachh League: A new category ranked large, medium and small cities separately to recognise excellence across size classes.
- Performance of mid‑tier cities: Small and medium‑sized cities made significant gains through community engagement and innovative solutions.
- Emphasis on the 3Rs: Cities were rewarded for reducing, reusing and recycling waste. Many transformed dumpsites into green spaces and produced compost and biogas.
- Inclusivity: Greater involvement of women, self‑help groups and sanitation workers improved dignity and employment.
Innovations and best practices
- Cities like Surat and Navi Mumbai mentored lagging municipalities, sharing practices such as door‑to‑door collection and waste segregation campaigns.
- Several civic bodies turned religious gatherings such as the Kumbh Mela into zero‑waste events by replacing single‑use plastic with eco‑friendly alternatives.
- Dumpsite remediation programmes converted large garbage mounds into parks and solar plants, freeing up valuable land.
Impact
The survey drives healthy competition among cities and motivates administrators to innovate. It supports the shift from open dumping to scientific waste management and contributes to the goal of building a clean and healthy India.