Indore: The recent Swachh Survekshan 2023 awards saw Indore retain its title as the cleanest city in India for the seventh consecutive year. Surat, the city that often secured its position as the second cleanest since 2020, emerged as the joint winner for the top rank for the first time.
Among cities with populations exceeding one lakh, Navi Mumbai secured the third spot in the rankings. The Swachh Survekshan results for 2023, released by President Droupadi Murmu, revealed Saswad in Maharashtra as the cleanest city among those with populations below one lakh, with Patan in Chhattisgarh and Lonavala in Maharashtra securing the second and third positions, respectively.
Mhow claimed the title of the cleanest cantonment area, while Varanasi was recognised as the best among the Ganga towns. Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh emerged as the cleanest states.
The results of the eighth edition of the Swachh Survekshan, touted as the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey, were disclosed on Thursday. The survey, which began in 2016 with only 73 major cities, has expanded to include a staggering 4,477 cities in 2023.
The latest rankings focused on addressing legacy dumpsites, managing plastic waste, implementing the principles of reduce, reuse, recycle, and ensuring the safety of SafaiMitras.
Highlighting citizen engagement as a key factor in the survey’s success, the ministry reported an unprecedented level of involvement, with around 409 million people covered and 12 crore citizen responses received during the assessment this year.
