In News:

Swachh Survekshan 2024–25, the world's largest urban sanitation survey, has marked a new milestone in India’s cleanliness journey under the Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U). Conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), this 9th edition evaluated 4,500+ Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), reflecting deepened citizen engagement and growing competition among cities.

Key Highlights

• Cleanest Big City (10+ lakh population): Ahmedabad (Gujarat) ranked 1st for the first time, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), Surat (Gujarat).
• Swachh Bharat Super League 1.0: Introduced for cities with sustained performance—Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai led the league.
• Top Mid-Sized Cities (3–10 lakh): Mira-Bhayandar (1st), Bilaspur (2nd), Jamshedpur (3rd).
• Top Small Cities (<1 lakh): Sasvad (1st), Lonavala, Vita.
• Best Ganga Towns: Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Bijnor.
• Cleanest Cantonment: Secunderabad Cantonment Board.
• Best Performing States: Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh.
• Cleanest State Capital: Bhopal.
• Sanitation Worker Safety Awards: Visakhapatnam, Jabalpur, and Gorakhpur were recognised under SafaiMitra Surakshit Shehar.

Swachh Survekshan Framework

• Launched: 2016 under SBM-U.
• Objective: Foster competition among cities for sanitation and cleanliness.
• 2024–25 Innovations:
  • One City, One Award principle for fair evaluation across population sizes.
  • Super Swachh League: Honours cities with consistent top-tier performance.
  • Real-time monitoring: Integrated Command and Control Centres (ICCCs) used for validation.
  • Digital citizen engagement: Over 14 crore citizens participated via apps and feedback systems.
  • 3R Emphasis: Focus on Reduce, Reuse, Recycle as a sustainability principle.

Super Swachh League (SSL)

• A newly created elite category within the survey.
• Aim: To promote continuous excellence in urban sanitation.
• Criteria:
  • Minimum 3-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating.
  • Consistent top performance in waste management, segregation, ODF++ status, and citizen engagement.
• Population Brackets:
  • 10 lakh+ (e.g., Ahmedabad, Indore, Surat)
  • 3–10 lakh (e.g., Mysuru, Noida, Chandigarh)
  • Below 3 lakh (with revised benchmarks)

Recognitions and Best Practices

• Waste-to-Wealth Initiatives: Recycled waste used to create artistic gifts for dignitaries.
• “Each One Clean One” Mentorship: Top 78 cities to mentor one lower-performing city each.
• Clean Kumbh Operations: Prayagraj efficiently managed waste during the Mahakumbh, which witnessed a footfall of 66 crore pilgrims.
• AI-Based Monitoring: Artificial intelligence tools deployed for cleanliness validation.
• Citizen-Centric Innovations: Apps and grievance portals boosted accountability.

Impact on Governance and Society

• Decentralised Sanitation Success: Cities like Bilaspur and Jamshedpur emerged as sanitation leaders.
• Inclusion of Smaller Towns: Simplified evaluation allowed small towns to compete on equal footing.
• Women & Youth Engagement: SHGs and youth campaigns played a major role in waste segregation drives.
• Job Creation & Entrepreneurship: Growth in green jobs and circular economy-based startups.
• Sanitation Worker Welfare: Greater focus on dignity, safety, and health of SafaiMitras.

Swachh Bharat Mission–Urban (SBM-U)

• Launched: October 2, 2014
• Phase II (SBM-U 2.0): Running from October 1, 2021 to 2026
• Goals:
  • Eliminate open defecation
  • Ensure 100% scientific waste management
  • Make cities “Garbage-Free”
• Aligned with: India’s SDG 2030 goals and Viksit Bharat 2047 vision