Swachh Survekshan 2024–25

19.07.2025

Swachh Survekshan 2024–25

Context

In a major recognition of urban cleanliness, Ahmedabad was ranked as the cleanest big city in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25. The results were announced at a national felicitation event by President Droupadi Murmu, highlighting the growing commitment of Indian cities to sanitation.

What is Swachh Survekshan?

It is an annual cleanliness survey conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to rank cities based on sanitation, waste management, and citizen participation.

• Goal: To make cleanliness a competitive and cooperative mission.
   
• Scale: Involves over 4,500 cities and participation from 14 crore+ citizens through apps, feedback, and field visits.
   
• Focus Areas: Door-to-door waste collection, segregation at source, public toilet access, and beautification of urban spaces.
   

2024–25 Highlights: Key Winners

• Cities above 10 lakh population:
   
  • 1st: Ahmedabad
     
  • 2nd: Bhopal
     
  • 3rd: Lucknow
     
• Cities with 3–10 lakh population:
   
  • 1st: Mira-Bhayandar
     
  • 2nd: Bilaspur
     
  • 3rd: Jamshedpur
     
• Other Categories:
   
  • Best Ganga Town: Prayagraj
     
  • Best Cantonment Board: Secunderabad
     
  • Sanitation Worker Safety: Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, Gorakhpur
     

Super Swachh League (SSL): New Category

This new segment recognises cities that consistently perform well in cleanliness over the years.

• Why Introduced? To promote long-term commitment to sanitation, not just one-time efforts.
   
• Eligibility:
   
  • Must have at least a 3-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating
     
  • Consistently high rankings in Swachh Survekshan
     
  • Strong in citizen engagement, ODF++ status, and source segregation
     
• Examples of SSL Cities: Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Mysuru, Chandigarh
   

Major Trends in This Year’s Survey

• Rise of Smaller Cities: Mid-sized cities like Bilaspur and Jamshedpur are now competing with metros.
   
• Push for 3R: Cities adopted Reduce, Reuse, Recycle as guiding principles for waste.
   
• Scientific Waste Processing: 12 cities earned 7-star, and 22 earned 5-star GFC status.
   
• Equal Opportunity for Small Towns: Scoring methods were revised to make it fair for towns with <1 lakh population.
   
• Massive Citizen Involvement: 14 crore people took part—highest in survey history.
   

Innovative Practices & Campaigns

• Waste-to-Wealth: Recycled waste was turned into gifts for dignitaries, showcasing creative reuse.
   
• Peer Mentoring (“Each One Clean One”): Top 78 cities will mentor low-performing ones.
   
• Dumpsite Clean-up Drive: From August 15, 2025, a 1-year campaign will reclaim land by clearing legacy waste.
   
• Kumbh Management: Prayagraj showed efficient sanitation for 66 crore pilgrims during Maha Kumbh.
   
• SafaiMitra Safety: Gorakhpur and Jabalpur earned recognition for protecting sanitation workers’ rights and health.
   

Why This Survey Matters

• Behavioural Change: Cleanliness is becoming a habit, not just a rule.
   
• Jobs & Startups: Waste management has led to new startups, SHG involvement, and green jobs.
   
• Performance Mirror: The survey helps cities track their progress and learn from each other.
   
• Link to Viksit Bharat 2047: Clean cities are key to achieving India’s development vision.
   
• Women’s Role: Women-led groups and school campaigns are key drivers of segregation and zero-waste practices.
   

Conclusion

Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 is more than a ranking—it reflects India’s changing mindset on urban sanitation. From large cities to small towns, cleanliness is becoming a shared civic culture. With citizen-led action, innovative models, and long-term policies, the survey is building a cleaner, more sustainable urban future.