Context:
Recently, President of India Droupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26 on 11 November 2026 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra), Surat (Gujarat) and Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) emerged as the top three cities in the Super Swachh League category.
About Swachh Survekshan:
Swachh Survekshan was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U). Its objective is to assess urban cleanliness, sanitation and waste management while encouraging healthy competition among Urban Local Bodies (ULBs). The 2025–26 edition marks its 10th edition, covering 4,751 cities.
Major Highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2025–26:
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- A total of 60 national awards were announced across different categories. In the Super Swachh League, Navi Mumbai, Surat and Vijayawada secured the top three positions. In the million-plus population category, Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur and Lucknow emerged as the top three cities. Under the Swachh Shehar Jodi category, Ahmedabad–Sanand, Indore–Depalpur and Tirupati–Kuppam secured the top three positions.
- For the first time, special awards were introduced for Swachh Riverfront Towns, Coastal Towns and Himalayan Cities. Rewa, Bilaspur and Varanasi were recognised as the top riverfront towns, while Puri, Alappuzha and Ratnagiri emerged as the top coastal towns. Rudrapur, Jammu and Shopian were recognised among the cleanest Himalayan cities.
- The survey also recorded significant improvements, with more than 350 Urban Local Bodies improving their rankings by over 500 positions. Additionally, over 1,700 ULBs with populations below 50,000 improved their rankings compared to 2024–25. Around 2.70 crore citizens participated through feedback.
- A total of 60 national awards were announced across different categories. In the Super Swachh League, Navi Mumbai, Surat and Vijayawada secured the top three positions. In the million-plus population category, Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur and Lucknow emerged as the top three cities. Under the Swachh Shehar Jodi category, Ahmedabad–Sanand, Indore–Depalpur and Tirupati–Kuppam secured the top three positions.
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About Swachh Shehar Jodi Initiative:
The Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative is based on the principle of Each One – Teach One. Under this initiative, 70 mentor cities have been paired with 191 mentee cities to facilitate knowledge-sharing, innovation and capacity-building in urban sanitation. It draws inspiration from India's traditional Guru–Shishya system.
About Assessment Framework:
Urban Local Bodies were assessed on 43 indicators across 10 critical domains, including waste segregation, collection and transportation, solid waste management, visible cleanliness, sanitation access, used-water management, mechanisation of desludging services, sanitation workers' welfare, citizen feedback and grievance redressal. More than 3,000 trained assessors conducted digital assessments supported by GPS-enabled monitoring.
Government Initiatives and Achievements:
According to the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister, urban waste processing increased from 16% in 2014 to 80%, while door-to-door waste collection coverage increased from 44% to over 96%. Legacy waste remediation has reclaimed nearly 11,000 acres of urban land. Other initiatives include PRAGATI-50, which aims to develop 50 model clean cities, and Swachhata Hi Seva, which promotes mass citizen participation.
Conclusion:
Navi Mumbai's recognition highlights India's progress towards cleaner and more sustainable cities. However, the real success of the Swachh Bharat Mission lies not merely in improving rankings but in making cleanliness a permanent habit and collective responsibility. Strengthening urban governance, citizen participation and sustainable waste management is essential for achieving the vision of Swachh and Viksit Bharat @2047.
