HYDERABAD: It was a day of double pride for the twin cities on Thursday, with Greater Hyderabad ranked the sixth cleanest city in the country in the Million Plus Cities category (population over 10 lakh) among 44 cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 rankings, while Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) secured the top position among 58 cantonment boards and ranked 11th nationally in the medium cities category (50,000–3 lakh population). Hyderabad outperformed other southern metros, with Bengaluru and Chennai ranking 36th and 38th, respectively.
This was Hyderabad’s best-ever performance in the survey after securing the ninth spot in 2023–24 and tenth in 2022–23. MAUD Secretary K Ilambarithi, GHMC Commissioner RV Karnan and Additional Commissioner (Health and Sanitation) Raghu Prasad received the awards at a ceremony in New Delhi.
In the Million Plus Cities category, the first five ranks went to Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, Raipur and Jabalpur. Greater Hyderabad also received a seven-star rating for its garbage-free status and was re-certified as a ‘Water Plus’ city for the fourth consecutive year, while SCB earned a three-star rating in the same category.
GHMC scored 100% in all but one category: door-to-door waste collection, waste processing, dumpsite remediation, cleanliness of residential and market areas, water bodies and public toilets. It scored 93% in source segregation.
SCB was also conferred the Ministerial Award in the Special Category, becoming the only cantonment in the country to receive this recognition, for its efforts in solid waste management and innovative best practices under the survey.
Warangal, Narsingi feature in top performers
It also earned a GFC three-star rating, ODF certification, Water Plus status, 95% in door-to-door waste collection, 100% in cleanliness of residential and market areas, and 75% in source segregation.
Other Telangana Urban Local Bodies featured in the rankings included Warangal (22), Narsingi (25), Peerzadiguda (59) and Korutla (84).