New Delhi : Ahmedabad has emerged as the cleanest city in the country, while Lucknow made a remarkable leap from 44th to 3rd place. Bhopal has secured the second position nationwide, climbing up from fifth place last year. The Central Government has announced the results of Swachh Survekshan 2024, India’s annual cleanliness ranking survey.
The results will be officially declared during an award ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on July 17, where President Droupadi Murmu will felicitate the top-performing cities. Bhopal Municipal Corporation has been invited to attend the prestigious event.
It is important to note that this year, it was not in competition with the top-tier cleanest cities like Indore and Surat. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs created a separate category called the ‘Super Cleanliness League’, which included 12 cities known for their consistent top performances in previous years. Just a day before the results, 3 more cities were added to this league, taking the total to 15 cities.
Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, and others, were evaluated separately to allow other cities a better chance at recognition and to encourage broader participation in cleanliness improvement efforts. Despite the absence of these top contenders from the main competition, Bhopal did not manage to clinch first place, nor was it included in the Super League category.
Along with Bhopal, Dewas, and Shahganj are also in the running for the Presidential Award. Jabalpur has been invited for a Ministerial category award, while Gwalior will be recognised at the State Level.
Indore, Ujjain, and Budni are representing Madhya Pradesh. Ujjain is the home district of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, and Budni is the constituency of former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The reshuffling of categories and the creation of a separate league for high-performing cities aims to broaden the scope of competition, providing an opportunity for more cities to gain recognition and improve their sanitation standards.
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