Swachh Survekshan 2021: For fifth year, Indore ranked cleanest city; Chhattisgarh cleanest state

In the central government’s annual cleanliness awards, Indore was named India’s cleanest city for the fifth time in a row, while Chhattisgarh held first place in the state category.

Surat and Vijayawada took second and third place in the ‘cleanest city’ category of the ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards, 2021,’ respectively.

Varanasi, which is represented in the Lok Sabha by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been named the “cleanest Ganga town,” with Munger and Patna in Bihar coming in second and third. Varanasi had also received the honour the previous year.

Chattisgarh was placed first for the third year in a row among states with over 100 urban local bodies, followed by Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; Bihar, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan were ranked last.

Jharkhand, Haryana, and Goa were rated first and second, respectively, among states with less than 100 urban local bodies, while Meghalaya, Kerala, and Tripura were ranked last.

The “cleanest cantonment” was Ahmedabad Cantonment, which was followed by Meerut Cantonment and Delhi Cantonment.

“This year’s Swachh Survekshan Prizes have special significance because we are celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav,'” President Ram Nath Kovind remarked when presenting the awards on Saturday. Even throughout the Covid outbreak, Safai mitras and sanitation personnel continued to provide services.”

According to him, environmental protection has always been a component of India’s traditional way of life. “Today, the entire globe is focused on environmental conservation… “The emphasis is on reducing, reusing, and recycling materials,” he stated.

The survey’s conclusions were based on field officers’ assessments and citizen comments on garbage disposal, open defecation free ratings, community toilet functionality and upkeep, and safe faecal sludge management.

Five cities – Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, New Delhi Municipal Council, and Tirupati – were classified as ‘divya’ under the “Prerak Daaur Samman,” a new performance category introduced under Swachh Survekshan 2021. (platinum).

Maharashtra received the most accolades with 92, the most of any state, followed by Chhattisgarh with 67.

“Swachh Survekshan (SS) has proven to be a successful technique for changing the urban landscape over time. Despite the problems faced by Covid-19 on the ground, a team of over 2,000 assessors visited over 65,000 wards in a record-breaking 28 days, according to the ministry.

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