Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Lucknow sweep Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards
NEW DELHI: As part of a grand celebration of India’s urban cleanliness movement, President Droupadi Murmu handed over the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, amidst Union Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu. The awards ceremony, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), honoured the exemplary efforts of cities nationwide in sustaining and upholding sanitation and waste management excellence.
This year’s rankings saw a new crop of clean cities, and at the top were Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow, with the top Swachh Shehars title. A total of 43 national awards were given, with a special award for the impressive waste management in Prayagraj, which hosted an estimated 66 crore visitors during the Mahakumbh.
It was a grand achievement when Prayagraj was named the Best Ganga Town, while Secunderabad Cantonment was awarded as the Best Cantonment Board. Visakhapatnam’s GVMC, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were named the Best SaifaiMitra Surakshit Shehars for their outstanding dedication to sanitation worker safety and dignity. The Uttar Pradesh government, Prayagraj Mela Adhikari, and the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation were especially awarded for managing the colossal task of waste management during the Mahakumbh.
UP shining example
Uttar Pradesh has made significant strides in urban sanitation, as reflected in the Swachh Survekshan 2024 rankings, with a notable improvement over last year’s performance. For the first time, Lucknow has been awarded the prestigious 7-Star Garbage-Free City certification, signalling a major leap in cleanliness and waste management.
The number of Garbage-Free Cities (GFCs) in UP has increased from 65 in 2023 to 83 in 2024. The number of cities certified as ODF ++ (Open Defecation Free Plus Plus) has jumped from 129 to 337. The Water+ a category, which recognizes cities for efficient water reuse and conservation, has grown from just two cities — Prayagraj and Noida — in 2023 to 16 in 2024, including Noida once again. The quality of GFC certifications has also improved. In 2023, there were no 7-Star cities in UP. In 2024, Lucknow secured that top rank. The number of 5-Star cities has risen from just one to six, with Agra, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Prayagraj, and Noida receiving the honour.
There are now six 3-Star cities — Ayodhya, Firozabad, Jhansi, Mathura, Moradabad, and Varanasi — while the number of 1-Star cities has increased from 56 to 70.