CHANDIGARH: The Union Territory of Chandigarh was adjudged the second cleanest city in the country in the category of cities with a population between 3 and 10 lakh at the ninth Swachh Survekshan 2024 annual awards, announced by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
At a ceremony held in Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu presented the award to Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria and Chandigarh Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla.
Kataria said, “This national recognition reflects the collective spirit and resolve of Chandigarh towards Swachhata. Let us continue this journey with the same enthusiasm and strive to make Chandigarh the cleanest city in the nation.”
He highlighted the role of Swachh Survekshan in empowering youth, creating green jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities, actively engaging Self Help Groups (SHGs), promoting school-level interventions, encouraging source segregation, startups and zero-waste societies, and organising public awareness events aligned with the vision of Swachh Bharat.
He emphasised that sanitation and hygiene have become intrinsic to citizens' daily lives and are deeply rooted in their sanskar (values). Swachh Survekshan, he noted, has become a powerful competitive tool inspiring cities to innovate and perform better year after year.
Babla said the city continues to set the benchmark in urban sanitation, reaffirming its status as one of the country’s cleanest and most sustainable cities. She said that this recognition is a testament to the city's consistent top-tier performance in cleanliness and sanitation under the Swachh Bharat Mission. She further added that this is a great achievement and was accomplished only with the help of the citizens.
Municipal Commissioner of Chandigarh Amit Kumar emphasised that the collective efforts, vision, and dedication of past leadership laid a strong foundation for sustained cleanliness and innovation in urban sanitation.
The Swachh Survekshan rankings were based on various parameters, including overall cleanliness, Garbage-Free City Star Rating, Open Defecation-Free (ODF) status, beautification drives, and Water Plus certification.
This year, a total of 78 awards were presented across four categories, including Super Swachh League Cities and the top three clean cities in five population categories, Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Mahakumbh; and State Level Awards – Promising clean city of a state or Union Territory. According to the ministry, 14 crore people allegedly participated in the survey through face-to-face interactions, the Swachhata App, MyGov, and social media platforms in over 4,500 cities.
In the 3 to 10 lakh population category, Noida secured the top spot as the cleanest city, with Chandigarh coming in second and Mysuru ranking third.
This year's survey, the ninth edition of Swachh Survekshan, assessed over 4,500 cities using a rigorous framework of 10 parameters and 54 indicators, with a focus on sanitation, waste management, and service delivery.