Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister of India

Raksha Mantri praises hometown Lucknow for securing third position in the country at Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh hailed Lucknow for jumping from 44th position to third position in the country in the National Swachh Survey 2024.

Indian President Smt. Droupadi Murmu conferred the ninth edition of Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 awards at Vigyan Bhagwan, New Delhi on July 17, 2025. The new generation of clean cities have arrived with Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Lucknow have emerged as India’s new clean cities.

Calling it a wonderful achievement for the city, Raksha Mantri congratulated the Mayor of Lucknow, Smt. Sushma Kharkwal, all the councilors, municipal corporation officials,sanitation workers as well as the entire people of Lucknow.

In a post on ‘X’, RM said, “I am extremely happy to know that Lucknow has jumped from 44th position to third position in the country in the National Swachh Survey 2024.

President Smt. Draupadi Murmu ji has awarded Lucknow for this achievement at an event organised in New Delhi today. For this wonderful achievement, I heartily congratulate the Mayor of Lucknow, Smt. Sushma Kharkwal, all the councilors, municipal corporation officials and sanitation workers as well as the entire people of Lucknow.”

 


Lucknow has achieved a significant milestone by emerging as the third cleanest city in the million plus category with a population of over 10 lakh. It is a notable rise that underscores the city’s dedicated efforts toward cleanliness and sustainable urban management. Over the past year, various steps were taken to improve cleanliness across the city. A key focus was placed on robust waste management practices, including door-to-door garbage collection, segregation at source, and timely disposal through scientifically managed processing units. Public participation also played a vital role, with citizens actively engaging in awareness campaigns and cleanliness drives.

Meanwhile, Indore was declared as the cleanest city among Super Swachh League Cities, followed by Surat and Navi Mumbai at second and third position.

This awards ceremony has been an annual feature since 2016, organised under the centre’s Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). It is said to be the world’s largest urban sanitation and cleanliness survey. 34 cities of various states and Union Territories were awarded the Promising Clean Cities Awards. A total of 78 awards were presented during the event across various categories.

The key highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 and the accomplishments of the nominated Cities were showcased through engaging audio-visual presentations. They appropriately captured the spirit and scale of the nationwide cleanliness movement.