SHILLONG, July 17: Shillong has bagged the ‘Promising Swachh Shehar of State/UT’ title during the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards at Vigyan Bhagwan, New Delhi, hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
Besides Shillong, 33 other cities across different states and UTs were selected for this distinction based on their efforts in improving sanitation, waste management, and citizen participation.
The awards, presented by President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday, marked a decade of progress under the Swachh Bharat Mission and honoured 78 cities across population brackets.
Ahmedabad, which ascended to the pinnacle of the million-plus category, was declared the cleanest metropolis in India.
Bhopal and Lucknow followed in close succession, while Indore, having sustained its preeminence for eight consecutive years, was elevated to the newly instituted Super Swachh League, a distinct rank reserved for cities of enduring excellence and broader renaissance in municipal stewardship.
Bhopal and Lucknow followed Ahmedabad in the rankings, while Indore retained its national title for the eighth consecutive year and joined Surat and Navi Mumbai in the newly introduced Super Swachh League.
Among the 43 national awards presented, Prayagraj received special recognition for its exemplary waste management during the Maha Kumbh, which recorded 66 crore footfalls.
Prayagraj was also named Best Ganga Town, while Secunderabad Cantonment received the award for Best Cantonment Board. In the list of 58 Cantonment areas, Delhi ranked 30 th, Shillong was 56th, followed by Agra (57th) and Kanpur (58th).
Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur and Gorakhpur were honoured as Best ‘Safai Mitra Surakshit Shehar’ for their commitment to sanitation worker safety and dignity.
Speaking at the event, President Murmu complimented the HUA ministry for promoting the Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (3R) approach and commended the waste-to-wealth memento presented to her.
She commended the cities below one lakh population which have established excellent standards of ‘swachhata’ (cleanliness). She praised how the school interventions, initiatives for source segregation startups and zero waste colonies are making the resolve for Swachh Bharat stronger.
President Murmu said, “The Viksit Bharat of 2047 will be exemplary for the world.”
During the programme, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced the launch of the Swachh City Partnership initiative, under which each top-performing city will mentor a lower-ranked city from its state.
He also unveiled the ‘Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Programme’, a one-year campaign, beginning August 15, to fast-track legacy waste removal and expand scientific waste processing.
The event ended with the launch of the ‘Swachh Survekshan Results Dashboard’ and audio-visual presentations showcasing the achievements of Super Swachh League Cities. (With agency inputs)
