India is a country that is known for its rich culture, heritage, history, and traditions. Foreigners often remember India and its people for their vibrancy and colors. However, India is also infamous for lack of cleanliness, especially in public spaces.
Via the advent of the Swachh Bharat Mission mission, the government placed emphasis on revitalization of cities and sanitation works.The massive amount of money spent on advertisements for the Swachh Bharat Mission, resulted in huge publicity for it and consequently the ratings. Since then cities have been vying with each other to earn the title of the cleanest city in India. The aim of the mission and the survey is to motivate the city administrators and its people to keep their cities clean and subsequently get the national recognition for their noble efforts.
The 2020 Swachh Survekshan survey was carried out in 4,242 cities, 92 Ganga towns, and 62 cantonment boards in 28 days. Here are the top 5 cleanest cities in India, announced by GOI as the top 5 cleanest cities in India in 2020.
- Mysore (Mysuru), Karnataka
The third most populous city in the state of Karnataka, Mysuru has been one of the cleanest ranked cities in India since the inception of the cleanliness survey. In 2020, it has been ranked as the 5th cleanest city in the country.
From the very beginning, Mysore had pledged to create minimal waste and remain clean. It still holds itself to that pledge. The famous workers of the zero-waste plants in the city continue to sincerely work towards segregating all generated waste from households into varied categories on a daily basis. This is one of the main reasons for its success story.
Mysuru is known for its rich history, impressive royal heritage, yoga, silk saris, elaborate architecture, and fragrant sandalwood among its many attractions. Hence, it is a major tourist hub in the country with millions of visitors every year.
- Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh
Ambikapur is a tiny, unknown town in the state of Chhattisgarh. One of the oldest cities in the country, it has suddenly become the subject of much attention after being awarded the 4th cleanest city in India as per the Swachchh Survekshan 2020 survey.
The town achieved its goal of cleanliness by put in all out efforts to segregate almost 90 percent of the daily waste generated by the residents. It also has no dumping ground; instead the waste is recycled which generates decent income for the administrative body.
Some of the prominent sites of tourist attraction in the city include the Jogimara Caves, Rakasganda Falls, and the Shivpuri Shiv Temple.
- Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
Navi Mumbai is a planned city and it has consistently featured in the top-twenty list of the cleanest cities in India, with constant improvement in rankings. For 2020, it is the third cleanest city in the country. The city not only adapted advanced techniques but also mobilized the community on a large scale in its efforts to have more sustainable progress and increased cleanliness.
The Palm Beach road area in the city is one of the cleanest in the world. Navi Mumbai’s drive has set an example for the rest of the cities in Maharashtra, and even the nation, to follow!
- Surat, Gujarat
Surat is the second cleanest city in India and the first in the state of Gujarat. Referred to as ‘the city of flyovers’, it is one of most rapidly growing cities in the country and the second most populous in the state.
Surat used to be a mess of a city with rubbish strewn all over. But with the help of the municipal administrators and the residents, it has completed transformed the surroundings into a pristine environment. Strict implementation of green measures like recycling of solid waste, solar power, and other sustainable development methods has resulted in the city becoming the pride and joy of the state.
- Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Indore is the most populous (around 1 million residents) and largest city in Madhya Pradesh. It is also the financial center in the state. It was awarded the cleanest city in India for the year 2020. With this, it has retained the ‘numero-uno’ rank for 4 successive years.
In 2014, Indore was ranked 149 in the survey. Now, segregation of waste, correct garbage disposal, conversion of trash to practical products like compost and fuel, and other green practices adapted by the administrators and residents has resulted in its meteoric rise.
During the presentation ceremony of the 2020 Swachh Sarvekshan award, the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Forest, Shri. Prakash Javadekar praised the city for proving to be an inspiration for other cities. He also congratulated the state CM and people of Indore for winning the prestigious award 4 times in a row.