New Delhi/Bhopal, July 17(HS): President Droupadi Murmu, will present the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards today at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister Manohar Lal and MoS Tokhan Sahu. This marks the 9th edition of the world's largest urban cleanliness survey, aimed at honoring cities that contribute significantly to the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). Awards will be given in four categories: Super Swachh League Cities, Top 3 clean cities in five population categories, Special Category: Ganga Towns, Cantonment Boards, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Mahakumbh, and State Level Awards for promising clean cities in States/UTs, totaling 78 awards.

Over the past nine years, Swachh Survekshan (SS), initiated under SBM-U, has played a pivotal role in enhancing urban cleanliness, expanding from 73 ULBs in 2016 to over 4,500 cities today. This year's awards emphasize the theme of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, with thorough assessments conducted by over 3,000 evaluators across the country, covering more than 1.1 million households and reaching 140 million citizens through various platforms.

For the first time, cities have been classified into five population categories to tailor assessments, recognizing cleanliness within smaller municipalities alongside larger cities. The Super Swachh League (SSL) encourages continual improvement among top-performing cities while motivating others to compete for higher standings.

Today’s ceremony will recognize eight cities from Madhya Pradesh—Indore, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Ujjain, Dewas, Budni, and Shahganj—were nominated for national recognition under the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 for their exemplary cleanliness efforts and other various categories.The results will also include star ratings for garbage-free and open defecation-free cities. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav commended the collective dedication toward cleanliness, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar