Indore Declared Cleanest City for Fifth Time; Chhattisgarh Cleanest State

Surat and Vijayawada bagged the second and third positions in the 'cleanest city' category respectively.

For the fifth time in a row, Madhya Pradesh's Indore has been declared as the country's 'cleanest city' in the Union government's annual cleanliness survey.

On Saturday, 20 November, President Ram Nath Kovind gave the 'Swachh Survekshan Awards 2021' and said, "This year, Indore city has secured the first position for the fifth time in a row. Not only is it commendable to get the first position in the whole country, it is even more commendable to maintain that place continuously."

इस वर्ष इंदौर शहर ने लगातार पाँचवी बार प्रथम स्थान प्राप्त किया है। पूरे देश में प्रथम स्थान प्राप्त करना तो सराहनीय है ही, उस स्थान को निरंतर बनाए रखना उससे भी अधिक प्रशंसनीय है। pic.twitter.com/lOcWT1x5WZ

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) November 20, 2021

Reacting to the development, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, "The blessings and guidance of respected President Ram Nath Kovind ji will give unprecedented impetus to the efforts of cleanliness not only in Madhya Pradesh, but in the entire country."

आदरणीय राष्ट्रपति श्री रामनाथ कोविंद जी के आशीर्वचन और मार्गदर्शन मध्य प्रदेश ही नहीं, बल्कि पूरे देश में स्वच्छता के प्रयासों को अभूतपूर्व गति प्रदान करेंगे। राष्ट्रपति महोदय का मैं प्रदेश के समस्त नागरिकों की तरफ से आभार, अभिनंदन व्यक्त करता हूं।@rashtrapatibhvn https://t.co/tmzYfJ9xzH

— Shivraj Singh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) November 20, 2021

In a tweet, the official handle of Collector Indore, congratulated the residents of Indore for the win.

लगातार पाँचवी बार देश का सबसे स्वच्छ शहर घोषित होने पर इंदौर के नागरिकों को बधाई। कलेक्टर श्री मनीष सिंह ने कहा है कि नागरिकों की स्वच्छता जागरूकता के कारण यह संभव हो सका है।@CMMadhyaPradesh @PMOIndia pic.twitter.com/GVaxap54oS

— Collector Indore (@IndoreCollector) November 20, 2021

Surat and Vijayawada at Second and Third Positions

Meanwhile, Gujarat's Surat and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh bagged the second and third positions respectively in the 'cleanest city' category.

In the survey announced by the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry (MOHUA), Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi has been declared as the 'cleanest Ganga town' and Chhattisgarh as the country's cleanest state.

According to a press release issued by MOHUA on Thursday, 18 November, while only 56 cities were awarded certification on some star rating in 2018, in 2021, as many as 342 cities have been awarded the same.

These 342 cities include nine five-star cities, 166 three-star cities, and 167 one-star cities.

Regarding the Swachh Survekshan, while 73 major cities were surveyed in 2016, as many as 4,320 cities participated in the sixth edition of the cleanliness survey this year.

(With inputs from PTI.)