Indore crowned cleanest city title for 8th consecutive year; MP dominates Swachh Survekshan Awards

New Delhi: Indore has once again cemented its place as India’s cleanest city, winning the top honour in the over 10 lakh population category in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards.

This marks the eighth consecutive year that Indore has secured the number one spot, reinforcing its legacy as the national benchmark in urban sanitation and cleanliness.

President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in Delhi on Thursday. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of State Tokhan Sahu, and several dignitaries were present. The awards for Madhya Pradesh were received by MP Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya and his deputy, Pratima Bagri. The cleanest city award was received by Minister Vijayvargiya, Mayor of Indore, Pushyamitra Bhargav, and Commissioner of Indore Municipal Corporation Shivam Verma.

Indore received the award under the newly introduced category, ‘Super Swachh League’, which honours cities that consistently perform at the top levels of urban cleanliness.

This year’s survey was guided by the theme, “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” with a robust framework involving 10 key parameters and 54 performance indicators.

Indore’s continuous innovation in waste management, citizen participation, sustainable practices, strong municipal governance and community-driven sanitation has made it a national role model for urban hygiene and civic responsibility.

In a major sweep for Madhya Pradesh, several cities across categories emerged as top performers. Ujjain, the home city of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, was awarded best city in the 3–10 lakh population category, while Budhni stood out among towns with populations under 20,000. Bhopal, the state capital, secured second place in the over 10 lakh category.

Jabalpur earned recognition as a “Safai Mitra Surakshit Sheher,” and Gwalior was awarded the “Promising Clean City” tag. In other categories, Dewas and Shahganj also featured among the top-ranked cities.

The state’s impressive performance extended to star ratings as well: 203 urban bodies in Madhya Pradesh received star certification this year, up from 157 last year. Indore, Bhopal, and Jabalpur earned the highest 7-star ratings, while Devwas, Rewa, and Satna achieved 5-star status.

Commissioner of Urban Administration and Development Sanket Bhondve credited sanitation workers for the achievements and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.