Swachh Survekshan

The Swachh Survekshan is an annual cleanliness survey announced since 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission. Its 8th edition was recently conducted in 2023. Indore and Surat collectively secured the 1st rank among the cities with more than 1 lakh population. Indore maintained its position for the 7th consecutive year. Varanasi and Prayagraj became the cleanest Ganga towns. The cleanest state under the survey is Maharashtra. Mhow cantonment board of Madhya Pradesh secured the 1st rank among cleanest cantonment boards. The Swachh Survekshan rankings have been significant in increasing the healthy competition among states, motivating cities to maintain and further improve their cleanliness efforts. Generating public awareness about the importance of cleanliness, sanitation, and hygiene practices and promoting behaviour change among citizens. Swachh Survekshan is an indispensable tool in shaping urban cleanliness and sanitation initiatives, ultimately leading to the realization of a Swachh Bharat. Swachh Survekshan has gained international recognition as one of the largest cleanliness surveys in the world.

The Swachh Survekshan ranking has its roots in the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), which was launched by the Government of India on October 2, 2014, with the aim of achieving universal sanitation coverage and making India open defecation free. It has two components: Swachh Bharat Mission- Grameen (SBM-G) under Ministry of Jal Shakti and Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban (SBM-U) under Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). The 2nd phase of the mission was launched in 2019-20. The Phase-II will focus on Solid/Liquid & plastic Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India through - Plastic waste management, Biodegradable Solid waste management, Greywater management and Faecal sludge management. Phase-I of the mission has contributed to the increase in sanitation coverage from 34% in 2014 to 100% in 2019.

Swachh Survekshan is an annual cleanliness survey conducted by the Government of India as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission launched on 2nd October, 2014, on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary and aims to make India clean and open defecation free. The survey was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to assess the progress and performance of cities and towns in terms of cleanliness and sanitation.

• It is a nationwide cleanliness and sanitation campaign launched by Prime Minister Modi on October 2, 2014, coinciding with the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.
• Objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission :-
  • To eradicate the practice of open defecation by constructing household and community toilets, promoting behavior change, and ensuring access to sanitation facilities for all.
  • To promote proper solid waste management practices, including waste segregation, collection, transportation, processing, and disposal.
  • To raise awareness about the importance of cleanliness and hygiene.
  • To build sanitation infrastructure such as household toilets, public and community toilets, waste treatment plants, and drainage systems to improve access to sanitation facilities in both urban and rural areas.
  • To strengthen the capacity of local government bodies, sanitation agencies, and other stakeholders involved in implementing cleanliness and sanitation programs.
• Funding pattern of Swachh Bharat Mission is 75:25 for regular states and 90:10 for North-Eastern states.

• It was launched by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in 2014 as a nation-wide campaign to eliminate open defecation in rural areas and promote sanitation and hygiene.
• SBM-G Phase 1 saw extensive construction of toilets and the declaration of many rural areas as open defecation free (ODF).
• SBM-G Phase-II was launched in 2020-21 with a total outlay of Rs. 1,40,881 crores to further consolidate the gains made in Phase 1 and sustain the momentum towards achieving universal sanitation coverage in rural areas by 2024-25.
• The Phase-II will provide Solid/Liquid & plastic Waste Management (SLWM) in rural India through - Plastic waste management, Biodegradable Solid waste management, Greywater management and Faecal sludge management.

• It is the urban component of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) launched by the Government of India in 2014. It is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in collaboration with state governments, urban local bodies, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders.
• The 2nd phase of SBM-U was launched in 2020 with a broader perspective of achieving ODF+ and ODF++ standards in urban cities and to make the cities garbage-free.

• ODF : An area is declared ODF when there is no visible fecal contamination in the environment due to open defecation.
• ODF+ : ODF+ includes measures to address issues such as solid and liquid waste management, cleanliness, and hygiene promotion in addition to toilet construction.
• ODF++ : It encompasses ODF and ODF+ criteria while further emphasizing sustainability, effective waste management practices, and comprehensive cleanliness and hygiene promotion efforts.

• Open Defecation Free : Government in 2019 claimed that India has become 100% ODF. Sanitation coverage has increased from 34% in 2014 to 100% in 2019 when around 6 lakh villages declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF). SBM-U Phase - 1 achieved significantly with all 4,715 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) successfully eliminating open defecation.
• Access to toilets : Nearly 95% of the rural population has gained access to toilets according to the National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey (NARSS) Round 3.
• ODF+ : In October 2023, over 78 per cent of the villages declared themselves ODF Plus.

• Swachh Survekshan is an annual cleanliness survey conducted by the Government of India as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), which aims to promote cleanliness, sanitation, and hygiene in the country.
• It has been conducted since 2016 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Criteria of evaluation : The cities are evaluated based on the parameters such as availability and usage of household toilets, the presence of public and community toilets, waste management practices, open defecation-free status, cleanliness of streets and public places, and citizens' feedback on cleanliness.
• Method of evaluation : Surveyors assess the cities through methods like direct observation, citizen feedback, and independent assessment.
• Categories of rankings under Swachh Survekshan
  • Cleanest city
  • Fastest moving city
  • Best performing states/UTs
  • Zonal awards ( to highlight the cleanest cities and the most improved cities in each zone)
  • Special awards : Apart from the main categories, Swachh Survekshan may include special awards and recognitions for cities that excel in specific areas.
• The rankings to cities are provided category-wise :-
  • Cities with a population of 1 million and above (Mega Cities)
  • Cities with a population of 0.1 to 1 million (Metropolitan Cities)
  • Cities with a population of less than 0.1 million (Small Cities)
  • Cantonment Boards
  • Statutory Towns

• Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 were conferred by the President Draupadi Murmu at the Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).
• Theme of Swachh Survekshan 2023 : “Waste to Wealth”.
• Ranking under Swachh Survekshan 2023
  • Cleanest cities with population more than 10 lakh
    1. Indore and Surat ( Both have achieved 100% door-to-door waste collection, 98% segregation of waste at source, and 100% dumpsites remediation)
    2. Navi Mumbai
    3. Vishakhapatnam
    4. Bhopal
  • Cleanest cities with population less than 1 lakh
    1. Sasvad (Maharashtra)
    2. Patan (Gujarat)
    3. Lonavala (Maharashtra)
    4. Karad (Maharashtra)
    5. Panchgani (Maharashtra)
  • Cleanest State ranking
    1. Maharashtra (with 89.24% door-to-door waste collection and 67.76% source segregation)
    2. Madhya Pradesh
    3. Chhattisgarh
    4. Odisha
    5. Telangana
  • Cleanest Cantonment Board : Mhow Cantonment Board in Madhya Pradesh
  • Top 2 cleanest Ganga towns : Varanasi and Prayagraj
  • Best Safari Mitra Surakshit Sheher (safest city for sanitation workers) : Chandigarh.
  • 20 Zonal awards were also conferred upon medium and small cities.

• Encouraging competition: The rankings create healthy competition among cities to improve their cleanliness and sanitation standards. For example, In 2016, Indore ranked at 25th position and from the next year it maintained the 1st position for seven consecutive years.
• Recognition : Cities that perform well in Swachh Survekshan rankings receive recognition and incentives from the government which motivates cities to maintain and further improve their cleanliness efforts.
• Citizen engagement : Citizens' feedback and involvement in the survey process contribute to assessing the ground-level reality of cleanliness and sanitation and foster a sense of ownership and responsibility among citizens.
• Public awareness and behavioural change : It generates public awareness about the importance of cleanliness, sanitation, and hygiene practices and promotes behavior change among citizens by highlighting the significance of maintaining a clean environment .
• International recognition : Swachh Survekshan has gained international recognition as one of the largest cleanliness surveys in the world.

Swachh Survekshan rankings play a crucial role in driving urban cleanliness and sanitation initiatives, fostering a culture of cleanliness, and advancing the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission to create a clean and healthy environment for all citizens. Swachh Survekshan is an indispensable tool in shaping urban cleanliness and sanitation initiatives, ultimately leading to the realization of a Swachh Bharat.