CHENNAI: Chennai has been ranked 45th this year in the Swachh Survekshan 2020 released by the Centre. Indore has been adjudged the cleanest city for the fourth consecutive year, while the cleanest megacity with a population of more than 40 lakh is Ahmedabad in Gujarat.
Chennai's rankings are an improvement from 2019 when it was ranked 61st. In 2018, it was ranked 100th while in 2017, it was ranked 235th. The city has been awarded by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the 'Best innovative practices in Solid Waste Management' among megacities with a population of above 40 lakh.
When contacted, a senior Corporation official said that improving door-to-door collection, segregation and disposal of waste to ensure only minimal waste reaches landfills has helped improve its rankings this year.
"Apart from reducing the quantum of waste that reaches the landfills, we have also converted many unsanitary toilets in the city to sanitary toilets. That is also an important reason," said a Corporation official from the Solid Waste Management department.
Asked what Ahmedabad has done differently to have made it to the top of the rankings for the cleanest megacity, Corporation officials said that they were yet to do a comparison of the two cities.
Considered the world’s largest cleanliness survey, the Swachh Survekshan covers 4242 cities in a 28-day-survey. It claims to have collected feedback from 1.9 crore citizens.