Indore, which has held the title of India’s cleanest city for eight consecutive years, has slipped out of the top three in the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 rankings announced on Wednesday. Navi Mumbai, Surat and Vijayawada secured the first three positions in the Clean City League category, while Indore was placed in the Super Swachh League.
The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025-26 were presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The awards recognise cities and towns for their performance in sanitation, waste management and overall cleanliness.
Navi Mumbai Tops Clean City Rankings
Navi Mumbai secured the first position in the Clean City League, followed by Surat in second place and Vijayawada in third. Indore, despite losing its podium position, continued to feature among the country’s leading clean cities under the Super Swachh League category.
Addressing the ceremony, President Murmu highlighted the importance of public participation in maintaining cleanliness. She said the responsibility extends beyond keeping public spaces clean and requires the collective efforts of households, communities and urban local bodies. She also underlined the connection between cleanliness, public health and social responsibility.
Madhya Pradesh Cities Deliver Strong Performance
Despite Indore’s fall from the top three, several other cities in Madhya Pradesh secured prominent positions in the national rankings.
Jabalpur emerged as one of the state’s top performers, securing second place among cities with a population of more than 10 lakh. Visakhapatnam topped this category, while Lucknow finished third.
Gwalior also featured among the country’s 10 cleanest cities. Other cities in Madhya Pradesh, including Rewa, Sagar, Ujjain, Dewas, Budhni and Depalpur, received recognition for their cleanliness initiatives.
Indore and its mentor city, Depalpur, jointly secured second place in the Clean City Pair category, also known as the ‘Super Swachh Jodi’ award.
Cities With a Population of More Than 10 Lakh
The top three cities in the population category of over 10 lakh were:
- Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh
- Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh
- Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Jabalpur’s second-place finish highlighted the city’s efforts in improving urban sanitation and waste management.
Cities With a Population of 3 Lakh to 10 Lakh
Ujjain topped the category of cities with populations between 3 lakh and 10 lakh. Chandigarh secured second place, followed by Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.
The rankings were:
- Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh
- Chandigarh
- Guntur, Andhra Pradesh
Ujjain’s performance further strengthened Madhya Pradesh’s presence in this year’s survey.
Dewas Tops Category of Cities With Up to 1 Lakh Population
Dewas secured the first position among cities with a population of up to one lakh. The city was recognised for its sanitation and cleanliness initiatives, adding to Madhya Pradesh’s strong performance in the survey.
Puri Named Cleanest Coastal Town
In the coastal town category, Puri in Odisha secured the top position, followed by Alappuzha in Kerala and Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
The top three cleanest coastal towns were:
- Puri, Odisha
- Alappuzha, Kerala
- Ratnagiri, Maharashtra
4,909 Cities Assessed Across 43 Parameters
The Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 covered 4,909 cities across the country and assessed their performance on 43 parameters.
The evaluation included door-to-door waste collection, segregation of wet and dry waste, garbage transportation and processing, cleanliness of public spaces, availability of sanitation facilities and citizen feedback.
The annual cleanliness survey aims to encourage competition among urban local bodies and promote improvements in sanitation, waste management and public hygiene across the country.