Indore bags India's cleanest city title again; Chhattisgarh cleanest state
President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday announced the Swachh Survekshan 2021 awards and Indore has once again been named the cleanest city in India. Surat in Gujarat grabbed the second position on the list while the third spot has been taken by Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Notably, 2021 marks the sixth edition of the nationwide annual cleanliness survey. Here are more details on this.
Why does it matter?
Indore, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, has bagged the cleanest city title for the fifth time in a row. Meanwhile, Surat has managed to retain its position from last year. However, Navi Mumbai in Maharashtra, which was last year named the third-cleanest city, has been replaced by Vijayawada. National capital Delhi, infamous for its pollution, is nowhere in the rankings.
Varanasi, Ahmedabad also bag awards
Under the survey, Chhattisgarh has been awarded the cleanest state. Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh won the award for the cleanest Ganga town while Ahmedabad Cantonment was adjudged the cleanest cantonment across India. Indore Collector Manish Singh congratulated the city's residents. His office said the achievement "has been possible due to the cleanliness awareness of the citizens."
4,320 cities participated this year
Swachh Survekshan is an annual survey of hygiene and sanitation in states, cities, and towns across India. It was launched as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission. President Kovind presented the awards at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. The event was also attended by Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and other officials. A total of 4,320 cities participated in the 2021 survey edition.
6 cities got 5-star ratings last year
Last year, six cities, including Indore (MP), Rajkot and Surat (Gujarat), Mysore (Karnataka), Navi Mumbai (Maharashtra), and Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), were given five-star ratings under the cleanliness survey. That number rose to nine this year.
