Guwahati, July 18: Guwahati has been declared the cleanest capital city in the Northeast in the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 rankings, marking a significant milestone for Assam’s urban cleanliness drive. However, while the city received the “Promising Swachh Sheher” award, the national ranking presents a more nuanced picture of its sanitation progress.
Guwahati secured the 44th position out of 95 cities in the 3–10 lakh population category, scoring 8,563 points. In contrast, the top city in this category, Mira-Bhayandar in Maharashtra, scored 11,652 points. Despite this gap, Guwahati made a notable leap from last year’s 402nd rank out of 448 cities in the same bracket, reflecting substantial progress.
The Swachh Survekshan awards were presented by President Droupadi Murmu during a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, and organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Guwahati Mayor Mrigen Sarania attended the event, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma celebrated the achievement on social media, crediting the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) and residents for the city’s sanitation efforts.
The city’s recognition comes on the back of its Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status and its newly earned 1-Star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating. Guwahati, along with other AMRUT cities in Assam—Silchar, Nagaon, and Dibrugarh—achieved the GFC 1-Star certification for the first time.
North Lakhimpur also made remarkable strides, improving its position to 155th out of 820 cities in the 50,000 to 3 lakh population category. Six cities across Assam received the ODF++ certification this year, compared to none in the previous cycle, signaling growing momentum in the state’s urban hygiene mission.
Mayor Sarania called the award “a result of organised efforts, public awareness, and people’s participation,” while the Chief Minister described it as a “reflection of Assam’s sustained efforts in city sanitation and public hygiene.”
The Swachh Survekshan assessment, guided by the theme “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” evaluated cities on 10 key parameters and 54 indicators, including solid waste management, water body rejuvenation, and citizen engagement. While Guwahati’s national score places it in the middle tier of performers, the city’s sharp upward movement signals a determined push toward cleaner, greener urban living in Assam.
