Navi Mumbai named India's cleanest city
Bhopal/New Delhi: For the first time, Navi Mumbai has won the cleanest city award beating 8-time Indore which had to be done with a relegated rank below the first three.
When the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025–26 was declared on Wednesday, Indore, long regarded as India’s cleanest city, suffered a major setback. The city failed to secure a place in the top three of the ‘Clean City League’ category, ending its long winning streak at the national level.
President Droupadi Murmu conferred national awards upon the cities Gwalior, Jabalpur, Rewa, Ujjain, Sagar, Dewas, Budhni, and Depalpur—all located in the state—at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Indore, however, figured among the super league.
Navi Mumbai topped the Clean City League, followed by Surat in second place and Vijayawada in third. Indore, which had consistently topped the rankings for several years, dropped out of the podium positions.
Indore and its mentor city Depalpur jointly secured the second place in the ‘Clean City Pair’ category, also referred to as the ‘Super Swachh Jodi’ award.
The national awards ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. This year’s survey evaluated 4,909 cities across the country on 43 parameters, including door-to-door waste collection, segregation of wet and dry waste, transportation of garbage, cleanliness of public spaces, sanitation facilities, and citizen feedback.
The parameters by which the cleanest city is decided include door-to-door waste collection cover, separation of waste at its origin, recycling and solid waste processing, sanitary installations. participation and feedback from the citizens and waste management system innovation.
Despite Indore losing its top position, the state of Madhya Pradesh performed strongly overall, with nine urban local bodies receiving national recognition. Jabalpur emerged as a standout performer, securing the second position among cities with a population of over 10 lakh.
In this category Visakhapatnam was adjudged first and Lucknow third.
Gwalior also found a place among the top 10 cleanest cities in the country. In the smaller-city categories, Ujjain topped the list of cities with a population of up to three lakh, while Dewas claimed the first rank among cities with a population of up to one lakh. Both cities were praised for their sustained efforts in sanitation and waste management.
(IANS input)