🧹 Swachh Survekshan: How India is Rethinking Cleanliness Rankings

Covering over 4,500 cities and capturing feedback from 140 million citizens, this massive survey offers policymakers a reality check on sanitation, waste segregation, and urban hygiene. But what’s new this time?

🔹 The Swachh League Approach:

Cities are now classified into five population categories instead of just two, allowing fairer comparisons. It’s no longer Agra vs Ahmedabad. Now, each city competes in its own weight class.

🔹 Recognition Beyond Rankings:

This year, 78 specialized awards were introduced to honor unique best practices.

For example:

Indore – Segregation at source

Surat – Selling treated sewage water

Pune – Cooperative-led waste management

Lucknow – Developed a ‘Waste Wonder Park’

Agra – Transformed 47 acres into green space

Each of these cases shows how cities are not just cleaner, but smarter in sustainability.

🔹 Mentorship & Themes:

The 2024 theme was “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, encouraging self-help groups and eco-conscious governance. This builds on earlier themes like “Wealth from Waste.”

Swachh Survekshan has clearly evolved from a basic ranking system to a performance-based, citizen-centric platform—one that democratizes recognition and inspires cities to innovate.

Cleanliness is no longer about competition. It’s about setting examples.

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