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The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2024-25 were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

About Swachh Survekshan (SS)

Swachh Survekshan is a flagship initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBM-U), instrumental in promoting urban cleanliness across India. Since its inception in 2016 with just 73 urban local bodies, the survey has expanded to cover over 4,500 cities. Over the past nine years, it has played a critical role in engaging communities, shifting mindsets, and motivating action towards sanitation.

The 2024-25 edition focused on the theme Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, with 78 awards presented to cities, cantonments, and institutions for outstanding sanitation performance.

Key Features of SS 2024-25

• Introduced a simplified, inclusive assessment framework ensuring smaller cities compete fairly with larger ones under the “One City, One Award” policy.
• Launched the Super Swachh League recognizing cities demonstrating sustained cleanliness excellence.

Major Highlights

• Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai secured the top three positions as the cleanest cities in the Super Swachh League.
• Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow emerged as the new generation of top clean cities, honored as leading Swachh Shehars.
• Prayagraj was recognized as the Best Ganga Town for its sanitation efforts along the river.
• The Secunderabad Cantonment Board received an award for exemplary sanitation work.
• Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were named Best SafaiMitra Surakshit Shehars, highlighting their commitment to the safety and dignity of sanitation workers.
• A special award was presented to the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj Mela Adhikari, and the Municipal Corporation of Prayagraj for effectively managing waste during the Mahakumbh, which hosted a record 66 crore visitors.

About Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBM-U)

• Launched on October 2, 2014, SBM-U aims to eliminate open defecation and achieve 100% scientific management of municipal solid waste in over 4,000 towns.
• The second phase, SBM-U 2.0, began on October 1, 2021, and will continue until 2026, with goals to make cities “Garbage Free” and promote sustained cleanliness habits.
• Implemented by MoHUA in collaboration with states and urban local bodies, SBM-U aligns with India’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030, improving urban living standards and driving transformation.

Source: Indian Express (IE)