In a landmark moment reflecting a decade of progress under the Swachh Bharat Mission, President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 Awards at a prestigious ceremony held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. The event, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) under the banner of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrated the efforts of top-performing cities and marked a new chapter in India’s cleanliness journey.
The President presented awards to 23 Super Swachh League cities, with Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai securing their positions as national leaders in sanitation. Ahmedabad, Bhopal, and Lucknow were declared India’s New Clean Cities, reflecting a shift in urban hygiene leadership. A total of 43 national awards were announced, covering a wide spectrum of categories, including Ganga Towns, Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar, and Cantonment Boards.
The city of Prayagraj was honoured as the Best Ganga Town, while the Secunderabad Cantonment Board received recognition for its sanitation excellence. Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were jointly recognised as Best Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehars, applauded for ensuring the safety and dignity of sanitation workers. A special award was conferred upon the Government of Uttar Pradesh, Prayagraj Mela Adhikari, and Prayagraj Municipal Corporation for their exceptional waste management during the Mahakumbh, which saw a footfall of 66 crore people.
In a significant move toward inclusive progress, 34 cities across various States and Union Territories were named Promising Swachh Shehars, reflecting commendable performance under the principle of ‘One City, One Award’. The redesigned framework of this year’s survey allowed smaller cities to compete fairly with their larger counterparts by incorporating 10 new parameters across five distinct population categories.
Addressing the gathering, President Murmu lauded the Ministry for embracing the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) approach and praised the waste-to-wealth memento presented to her. She noted that “waste is best” embodies the spirit of a circular economy, creating opportunities for green jobs, youth empowerment, and entrepreneurship through self-help groups (SHGs). She also appreciated the efforts of cities under one lakh that have achieved high sanitation benchmarks.
Launching the Swachh City Partnership initiative, Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal urged top-performing cities to mentor underperforming counterparts, stating, “Zaroorat hai sab ko saath lekar chalne ki.” He also announced the Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Programme, a one-year initiative starting August 15, 2025, aimed at legacy waste clearance and enhanced scientific waste processing.
Secretary of MoHUA, Shri Srinivas Katikithala, emphasised the evolution of Swachh Bharat over the last ten years and the need to chart a course for Viksit Bharat 2047. He underlined the transformation of sanitation from policy to practice, embedded in the nation’s swabhav and sanskaar.
The event also witnessed the digital launch of the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 Results Dashboard, offering a comprehensive overview of rankings, achievements, and real-time data on GFC and ODF+ certifications. A special AV presentation captured the movement’s impact across the country.