Indore and Surat top cleanest cities list, Kerala lags at 22nd position

NEW DELHI: Indore and Surat clinch the title of the cleanest cities in India for the seventh year in a row according to the Swachh Survey Awards 2023 by the Union Ministry of Urban Development.

In the category of cities with a population over one lakh, Indore continues its winning streak with Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh securing the top three states. However, Kerala lags behind securing the 22nd position.

President Draupadi Murmu presented the awards at Bharat Mandapam, Delhi. In the category of cities with a population less than one lakh, Saswad (Maharashtra) secures the top spot, followed by Patan (Chhattisgarh) and Lonavala (Maharashtra). Mhow Cantonment in Madhya Pradesh leads in the Cantonment category, while Varanasi and Prayagraj are recognized as Clean Ganga towns. Chandigarh also receives the Saphamitra Surakshith Shahar Award.

Alappuzha with a population of over one lakh and Varkala in cities with a population less than one lakh, lead in cleanliness. Thiruvananthapuram and Kalpatta secure the second rank while Thrissur and Mattannur secure the third rank.

The state rankings are as follows: Maharashtra at 1st, Madhya Pradesh at 2nd and Chhattisgarh at 3rd. Kerala stands at the 22nd position.

The top 500 cities in Kerala and their ranks are as follows: Alappuzha-320, Thiruvananthapuram-321, Thrissur-333, Kozhikode-373, Palakkad-374, Kottayam-394, Kannur-389, Kollam-406, Kochi-416.

The rankings are determined based on various criteria, including household waste collection, waste segregation at source, waste generation-treatment rate, management of waste disposal sites, cleanliness in residential areas and markets, cleanliness of water bodies, public toilets and effective plastic waste management, reduction and recycling.