Swachh Survekshan 2025: How Cities Are Ranked for Cleanliness

Indore was declared the cleanest city in India for the eighth consecutive year, while Surat secured second and Navi Mumbai third in the Central government’s annual cleanliness survey. President Droupadi Murmu presented the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 Awards on July 17 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.

Every year, cities across India compete in the Swachh Survekshan to be ranked the cleanest. The survey evaluates waste management, street cleanliness, and public participation. This year’s focus was on the 3R principles: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Cities that followed these practices closely scored higher.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs organises the event, which Union Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu attended. A total of 78 awards were given across four categories, including the newly introduced Super Swachh League, which highlights cities consistently ranked in the top tier.

The Swachh Survekshan 2024 award function honoured eight cities in Madhya Pradesh. 

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Dr. Mohan Yadav, extends his congratulations to the eight Madhya Pradesh cities recognised at the national level. He praised the contribution of Safai Mitras, citizens, public representatives, employees, officers, and all stakeholders. He said, “Madhya Pradesh is progressing step by step in fulfilling the cleanliness pledge taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In cities with a population of over 10 lakh, Ahmedabad ranked first, followed by Bhopal in second place. In the 3–10 lakh category, Noida secured the top spot, while Chandigarh and Mysuru ranked second and third respectively.

The event also includes star ratings for garbage-free cities, ODF++, and Water+ certifications.  

Now in its ninth edition, Swachh Survekshan has grown into the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey. This year, more than 3,000 assessors inspected over 4,500 urban local bodies during a 45-day period. The process reached over 14 crore citizens through direct engagement and digital platforms. For the first time, cities were grouped into five categories based on population size, making the competition more balanced.

But what exactly is this survey? Who conducts it, and how? Why does it matter to cities and to people like you?

Here’s what you need to know.

What is Swachh Survekshan?

Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey that tracks how clean and hygienic Indian cities are. It looks at how local authorities manage waste, clean streets, and maintain public spaces. The aim is to improve sanitation and encourage citizen participation.

The survey is part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. It pushes cities to not only build toilets and process waste but also to involve people in everyday cleanliness. Cities are scored on various indicators that reflect real-world practices.

Over time, the rankings have become a badge of honour for cities. Winning top spots boosts civic pride and often drives further improvement.

How is the survey done?

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs commissions the Quality Council of India to conduct the survey. This year, more than 3,000 trained assessors visited over 4,500 cities and towns. Their work lasted for 45 days.

They checked local records, took photos, and verified conditions on the ground. Cities had to submit documentation: assessors collected over 5 lakh documents and nearly 24 lakh geo-tagged photos as proof.

Public feedback played a major role. Around 1.9 crore citizens participated through the Swachhata app, MyGov, social media, and on-ground interviews. Cities that engage residents actively tend to score higher.

The scoring gives 60% weight to service-level progress. This includes solid waste management (30%), sanitation and wastewater systems (22%), and visible cleanliness (17%). These numbers show the focus isn’t just on looks, it’s also about systems.

Another 750 marks are reserved for how cities protect sanitation workers. The survey checks whether they use machines instead of manual cleaning, whether septic tanks are properly built, and if staff receive safety training.

The 2024–25 edition also added new checks. Cities were rated on the cleanliness of tourist areas, water bodies, and public toilets. Grouping cities by population size, into five brackets, allowed fairer comparisons.

History of Swachh Survekshan

Swachh Survekshan began in 2016 with just 73 cities. At the time, the focus was on pushing cities to end open defecation and improve solid waste systems. Only one lakh people participated in that survey.

In 2017, the number of participating cities jumped to 434. Then, in 2018, more than 4,200 cities joined. The top cities that year were Indore, Bhopal, and Chandigarh.

Indore has since become a constant leader. In 2019, the survey had over 64 lakh citizen responses. Ambikapur and Mysuru followed Indore in the rankings. That year, the process went fully digital and began including third-party certifications.

In 2020, over 4,200 cities were again covered. Indore remained at the top, followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai. Varanasi was rated the cleanest Ganga town. Continuous assessment was introduced for the first time.

By 2021, participation crossed 5 crore citizens. Indore stayed number one. Surat and Vijayawada followed. The Swachh Survekshan introduced recognition categories like Aarohi and Divya to mark different levels of city achievement.

Each year, the survey evolved. It added new indicators, updated scoring systems, and encouraged cities to think long-term about hygiene and waste.

How are Swachh Survekshan rankings calculated?

The final scores are based on five major components:

• Service-level progress (1,300 marks)
  

• Citizen feedback (1,500 marks)
  

• Field verification (1,500 marks)
  

• Certifications like Garbage-Free City (GFC) and ODF status (1,500 marks)
  

• Quarterly performance (200 marks)
  

Together, these add up to a total of 6,000 marks.

Cities don’t just submit documents. They are asked to show real-world results. Independent assessors verify the data with ground visits. Photos, citizen responses, and third-party certifications all count.

Citizen engagement matters more than ever. People rate their cities using apps or in-person surveys. Cities that involve residents year-round, not just before the survey, score better.

The rankings don’t only reward big cities. Smaller towns that show progress also win. The idea is to reward actual work, not just scale or budget.

This year, a new league was introduced. The Super Swachh League rewards consistency. Cities that stayed in the top three for three years and remained in the top 20% this year were included. This pushes cities to perform well year after year, not just once.

Swachh Survekshan is now more than a one-time survey. It is a year-long effort. It keeps cities accountable and rewards those who improve systems and engage citizens.

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