Swachh Survekshan 2021: How Indore became India’s cleanest city

Indore has been adjudged India’s cleanest
city for the fifth year in a row by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban
Affairs (MOHUA) on Saturday in the annual Swachh Survekshan 2021 survey.

Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in cities and towns across India launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. The rankings of cities depend on these parameters. The city which gets the maximum number of points wins the award.

This year Indore got 5618.14 points. It was ranked 149th in the cleanliness rankings. Since 2017, Indore has been winning the award of India’s cleanest city.

Over the last seven years, Indore focused on improving garbage collection and turned the city open-defecation free (ODF). The Indore Municipality Corporation is currently helmed by BJP mayor Malini Gaur.

Indore collector Manish Singh said this has been possible due to the awareness among the residents.

Earlier this year, Indore was declared India’s first water plus city under Swachh Survekshan 2021.

Surat follows Indore

Surat, Vijaywada, Navi Mumbai and Pune have
been awarded as the country’s second, third, fourth and fifth cleanest cities. Surat acquired 5559.1 points.

President Ram Nath Kovind conferred honour
to the cities on Saturday at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi at the ‘Swachh Amrit
Mahotsav’ event.

“Indore is India’s cleanest city for
the 5th year in a row. Heartiest congratulations to the people, political
leadership, Municipal Corporation, Swachhagrahis & Safaimitras for their
exemplary commitment towards keeping the city on top,” Hardeep Singh Puri,
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, wrote on Twitter.

Among the states, Chhattisgarh won the
honour of India’s cleanest state in the annual cleanliness survey. The state
capital Raipur won the honour of the sixth cleanest city of India. Varanasi has
been adjudged the cleanest city in the Ganga town category.

Chhattisgarh cleanest among states 

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel
was present at the event to receive the award. He dedicated the award to people
associated with the sanitation system, government representatives,
administration, and people of Chhattisgarh for “making it possible”.

Three cities from Gujarat figured in the
Top 10 of India’s cleanest cities, while Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra
Pradesh have two cities each in the exclusive list.

Here is the list of the top 10 cleanest
cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2021:

1. Indore

2. Surat

3. Vijayawada

4. Navi Mumbai

5. Pune

6. Raipur

7. Bhopal

8. Vadodara

9. Visakhapatnam

10. Ahmedabad