Swachh survey: Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai residents lauded

Residents of Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai and their elected representatives came in for praise after the urban centres were adjudged as India's top three cities in terms of cleanliness in a national survey.

Indore was adjudged India's cleanest city for a fourth straight year, while Surat and Navi Mumbai grabbed the second and third positions, respectively, as the Centre announced the results of its latest annual cleanliness survey on Thursday.

The 10 top-ranked cities, having a population of more than 10 lakh, are: Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai, Vijaywada, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Bhopal, Chandigarh, GVMS Visakhapatnam and Vadodara.

The Swachh Survekshan awards 2020 -- the fifth annual cleanliness survey of the country -- were announced by Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri at a ceremony where 129 awards were given in different categories.

Expressing happiness over Indore's top ranking for the fourth straight year, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the city has now become a role model for the world in cleanliness.

He said "cleanliness is now the nature of Indore", and lauded its citizens who made this achievement possible.

"Four times in a row the cleanest city in the country! We will progress together to fulfil the dream of a Prosperous MP with Swachh MP, Chouhan tweeted soon after results of the Swachh Sarvekshan 2020 were announced.

"Cleanliness is now the nature of Indore. The city has now become a role model for the world in cleanliness. My heartiest congratulations to the people of Indore, public representatives and municipal corporation for the dedication, he said in a series of tweets.

He said it was a moment of pride for Madhya Pradesh that Indore has been adjudged as the cleanest city in the country while racing against 4,242 cities.

"This achievement was not possible without the people of Indore. I congratulate my brothers and sisters for their support assuring that we will progress together and will fulfil the dreams of a prosperous Madhya Pradesh," Chouhan said.

Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani expressed happiness over four major cities of the state finding place in the list of top 10 cleanest cities of India.

Rupani gave credit to people, elected representatives and officials of these cities for accepting the appeal of Mahatma Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi about cleanliness, which helped in getting the rankings.

"It is a matter of great happiness and pride that four Gujarat cities have made it to the top 10 list of Swachh Survekshan 2020.

"I congratulate people, elected representatives and mayors of these four cities for achieving this feat," said Rupani.

"Its a matter of pride for all Gujaratis because we are walking on the path shown by Mahatma Gandhi about maintaining cleanliness.

"Our PM, too, had initiated a major social movement to make people understand the importance of cleanliness," said Rupani.

Maharashtra minister Eknath Shinde said that the state has performed a hat-trick by bagging the maximum number of awards in the Centre's Swachh Survekshan 2020 for urban areas.

Talking to reporters in Mumbai Shinde said in the category of cities with population of less than 1 lakh, Maharashtra's Karad bagged the first position, followed by Saswad and Lonavala.

In the Western region, in the list of cities with less than 25,000 population, Panhala bagged an award, while Jejuri got an award in the category of sustainable clean city, Shinde said.