Swachh Survekshan: India’s Path to Sustainable Urban Cleaniness

Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai emerged as the cleanest cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 rankings.

Swachh Survekshan (SS) is India’s annual cleanliness survey and a crucial part of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Since it began in 2016, Swachh Survekshan has helped change how we think about urban cleanliness. 

What started with 73 cities has become the world’s biggest cleanliness survey, now covering over 4,500 cities and reaching about 409 million people. This effort has helped in making areas Open Defecation Free (ODF) and in improving how waste is managed across the country.

The 2024-25 Swachh Survekshan results highlight significant advancements in urban cleanliness, with Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai leading the charge as the top-performing cities. Their consistent excellence, along with that of 20 other cities has earned them a special place in the newly formed “Super Swachh League.” Building on this success, a new initiative, the Swachh City Partnership, will further boost cleanliness standards by enabling these top-tier cities to mentor underperforming ones, fostering a collaborative and supportive approach to urban sanitation nationwide.

Understanding Swachh Survekshan

Swachh Survekshan survey examines cities across four key dimensions related to urban sanitation:

1. Service Level Progress measures how efficiently cities collect garbage, transport waste, and maintain public toilets. It’s essentially checking if the city’s cleaning machinery is working properly.
2. Citizen Voice captures what residents actually experience through surveys and mobile apps. The Swachhata App allows people to report issues, rate public toilets, and track their city’s progress in real-time. This ensures that official claims match ground reality.
3. Direct Observation involves independent 3rd Party Assessors visiting cities to verify conditions. 
4. Certifications reward cities for achieving specific standards. The Open Defecation Free (ODF) certification has multiple levels. 

• Basic ODF ensures no one defecates/ urinates in the open.
• ODF+ guarantees well-maintained public toilets.
• ODF++ ensures proper sewage treatment and faecal sludge management. 
• The Water+ certification takes it further by ensuring treated wastewater is reused sustainably.

The 2024-25 edition introduced a simplified framework with 10 new parameters ensuring fair competition among the cities. This year, the awards will be presented across 4 categories:

a) Super Swachh League Cities 

b) Top 3 clean cities in 5 population categories 

c) Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Mahakumbh 

d) State Level Awards: Promising clean city of State/UT.

Achievements in Urban Sanitation

India’s waste processing capacity has jumped from 18% in 2014 to 70% in 2021. This significant leap means that millions of tonnes of waste are now scientifically treated, rather than being left to pollute open areas. A key factor in this transformation is the strategic adoption of technology: cities are increasingly leveraging advanced tools like GPS tracking to optimize waste collection routes and ensure timely and efficient service delivery.

The certification system has created a ladder of achievement. Currently, over 3,000 cities have achieved ODF+ status, while more than 950 cities have earned ODF++ certification. Additionally, 64 cities have attained Water+ status, demonstrating comprehensive wastewater management.

Indore’s Excellence

Indore has become synonymous with urban cleanliness in India. The city’s success is the  result of systematic planning spanning nearly a decade. Indore achieves 100% door-to-door garbage collection, ensuring no household is left out. With 98% source segregation, residents separate wet and dry waste at home, making processing more efficient.

Importantly, Indore has eliminated all dumpsites, proving that scientific waste management is possible even in densely populated Indian cities. The city’s approach combines strong municipal leadership with active citizen participation.

Navi Mumbai’s Innovation

Navi Mumbai’s consistent top-three ranking showcases how technology and citizen engagement can create sustainable solutions. The city operates India’s first Textile Recovery Facility for garment waste recycling and uses advanced tracking systems for waste collection vehicles.

Their sewage treatment approach is equally impressive, with 99.9% network coverage and 100% treatment of wastewater. Over 30% of treated water is reused for gardening and construction, creating a circular economy model. Regular cleanup drives involve diverse groups including senior citizens and students making cleanliness everyone’s responsibility.

Challenges in Urban Cleanliness

Despite remarkable progress, significant challenges persist. The critical gap lies between policy and practice in waste segregation. 

Implementation Gaps

While 85% of wards officially practice source segregation, ground reality differs significantly. Cities like Gurgaon report only 10% actual segregation, highlighting serious implementation challenges.

Many cities still lack reliable daily waste collection where residents hire private workers or resort to illegal dumping. Collection vehicles often aren’t designed for segregated waste, undermining the entire system from the start.

Behavioral Change Complexities

Changing deeply rooted habits requires more than just providing facilities. Cultural preferences, social norms, and convenience factors all influence whether people adopt new sanitation practices.

Urban Inequality

Waste management challenges are particularly acute in urban slums, where 51% of non-notified slum residents lack access to improved sanitation. Social discrimination compounds these challenges, with marginalized communities facing additional barriers to accessing quality services. The intersection of caste, class, and sanitation access creates complex inequalities. 

Roadmap for Future Success

Building on current achievements requires interventions across multiple fronts. Integrated waste management systems must become the norm, with standardized collection mechanisms that support source segregation even in challenging urban environments.

The announced Accelerated Dumpsite Remediation Programme, set to begin on August 15, addresses a critical component of this strategy. By clearing legacy waste and unlocking valuable urban land, this year-long initiative will boost scientific waste processing capacities across cities.

Behavioral Change Approach

Future strategies must move beyond mass media to targeted, community-based interventions. The emphasis on the “Waste is Best” theme and circular economy principles in the 2024-25 edition reflects this understanding. By highlighting how circular practices can empower youth, generate green jobs, and encourage entrepreneurship, the initiative makes cleanliness economically attractive.

Equitable Access

The recognition of SafaiMitra Surakshit Shehars cities like Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur that prioritize sanitation worker welfare – demonstrates commitment to ensuring dignity for all community members involved in cleanliness efforts.

Social identity-based inclusive policies can address persistent disparities in sanitation access. This includes prioritizing infrastructure development in urban slums while addressing space constraints and land tenure issues.

Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) play a crucial role in addressing these inequalities. Their effectiveness in service delivery often determines whether cleanliness initiatives reach all sections of society or remain limited to privileged areas.

SDG 6 Alignment

The evolution of Swachh Survekshan from basic cleanliness rankings to comprehensive sustainability assessments aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 6, which focuses on ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

The introduction of Water+ certification specifically addresses wastewater treatment and reuse, moving beyond basic sanitation to environmental sustainability. This progression demonstrates India’s commitment to circular economy principles and resource conservation.

Conclusion

Swachh Survekshan has transformed from a simple ranking exercise into a comprehensive framework for urban sanitation reform. Its success lies not just in creating competition among cities but in empowering citizens to demand better services and hold authorities accountable.

The survey’s evolution reflects India’s growing commitment to urban cleanliness. More importantly, the shift from basic infrastructure provision to comprehensive waste management and behavioral change demonstrates policy learning and adaptation.

Success stories like Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai prove that excellence is achievable through systematic planning, citizen engagement, and municipal leadership. These models can guide other cities in their cleanliness journey while adapting to local contexts and challenges.

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