Swachhata Is An Identity Of Indore And Will Remain So
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): It won’t be just another day for Indore on Thursday, which was adjudged as cleanest city of the country for seven years in a row, as it is no longer part of Swachh Survekshan rankings which are to be released today.
Though the city isn’t competing for the top spot this year, being placed in the elite “Super League” of cleanliness, the excitement in the air is unmistakable as Swachhata is an identity of Indore and will remain so.
For seven consecutive years, Indore had proudly held the title of the cleanest city in India. From its narrow bylanes to its broad avenues, the city had transformed itself into a symbol of urban cleanliness and sustainable living.
This year, however, Indore isn’t in the regular rankings—it graduated to a class of its own, a recognition of its unwavering commitment to cleanliness and innovation.
Despite this, the stakes remains high.
“We may be out of the regular rankings, but our journey doesn’t stop here,” said municipal commissioner Shivam Verma. “Now we’re competing with Super League members, including Navi Mumbai and Surat, pushing boundaries and setting benchmarks,” he added.
Indeed, Indore has become a case study in what is possible when citizens, government and technology come together with a shared vision. Over the last eight years, the city hasn’t just cleaned up—it has redefined what cleanliness means. Where once waste was a problem, it is now a resource. We call waste a gold as it fills our coffers, Verma said.
From segregating waste into seven distinct categories at the source to transforming wet waste into bio-CNG and green waste into wooden logs, Indore has pioneered a model that many cities are now adopting. Its zero waste colonies are not just eco-friendly—they are community-driven, meticulously planned ecosystems where not a single scrap goes to landfill.
The zero waste colonies are where mornings begin not just with newspaper vendors and tea stalls, but with a dedicated waste segregation team trained by the municipal corporation.
“We didn’t believe it was possible at first,” admitted Rekha Verma, a local resident and homemaker. “But now, not a day goes by where we aren’t proud of what we’re doing. Even our kids have started teaching their friends about waste types,” she added.
The city’s bio-CNG plant, which converts wet kitchen waste into clean energy, is another marvel. Every day, tonnes of waste are turned into fuel that powers city buses. It's a cycle of sustainability that has inspired other cities like Ahmedabad, Varanasi and even Bengaluru to adopt similar initiatives.
But perhaps what sets Indore apart is not just its technology or infrastructure—it’s the culture that has grown around cleanliness. Swachhata here is not a campaign; it’s a way of life. Street vendors carry their own bins, schoolchildren take part in cleanliness drives and local artists paint walls with murals promoting hygiene.
“We’ve come a long way,” said Abhichal Mishra, a young entrepreneur whose startup creates eco-friendly packaging from organic waste. “But we’re not done. Indore isn’t just leading India—it’s showing the world what’s possible when cleanliness becomes a collective responsibility,” he added.
As the Swachh Survekshan results draw near, the city waits—not with anxiety, but with pride. Whether it tops the Super League or not, Indore has already won in the eyes of its people and in the annals of India's urban history.
Because in Indore, cleanliness is not a goal. It is a journey. And that journey continues today.
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