As per Swachh Survekshan 2025, Madurai has been ranked as India’s dirtiest city (among cities with population over 1 million), exposing the persistent urban sanitation challenges in India. Despite a decade since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), many Indian cities continue to struggle with sanitation, solid waste management, and civic cleanliness.
Swachh Survekshan 2025 Findings
Top 10 Dirtiest Cities (Population > 1 Million)
| Rank | City | State/UT | Score (out of 10,000) | Key Issues Identified |
| 1 | Madurai | Tamil Nadu | 4,823 | Poor waste disposal, inadequate sewage systems, low community participation |
| 2 | Ludhiana | Punjab | 5,272 | Industrial waste, weak civic enforcement, lack of segregation |
| 3 | Chennai | Tamil Nadu | 6,822 | Incomplete waste segregation, poor implementation of recycling |
| 4 | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 6,835 | Garbage disposal gaps, inadequate public toilets |
| 5 | Bengaluru | Karnataka | — | Urban sprawl, unregulated waste collection |
| 6 | Dhanbad | Jharkhand | 7,196 | Industrial and coal dust pollution |
| 7 | Faridabad | Haryana | 7,329 | Inadequate solid waste management |
| 8 | Greater Mumbai | Maharashtra | 7,419 | Overcrowding, slum sanitation issues |
| 9 | Srinagar | Jammu & Kashmir | 7,488 | Lack of modern waste processing infrastructure |
| 10 | Delhi | National Capital Territory | 7,920 | Air and waste pollution, landfill overflow |
Major Contributing Factors
- Unplanned Urbanization: Infrastructure unable to match population growth.
- Poor Waste Segregation: Low household-level segregation and recycling.
- Weak Enforcement: Municipal bylaws not implemented rigorously.
- Industrial Pollution: High levels of untreated waste in industrial cities.
- Low Civic Participation: Public apathy towards cleanliness initiatives.
Significance of 2025 Report
- Reveals implementation gaps in large and industrial cities.
- Highlights imbalance between industrial growth and civic infrastructure.
- Provides actionable insights for ULBs to adopt sustainable waste management systems and public participation models.
What is Swachh Survekshan?
- Annual cleanliness survey under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
- Conducted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) since 2016.
- Executed by the Quality Council of India (QCI).
- Evaluates urban local bodies (ULBs) based on waste management, sanitation, and citizen feedback.
Assessment Criteria (2025 Survey)
- Segregation and Waste Processing Efficiency
- Open Defecation Free (ODF) Status Maintenance
- Innovation and Best Practices in Waste Recycling
- Citizen Feedback (Marks weightage ~30%)
- Cleanliness of Public Areas and Slum Redevelopment
About Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM)
Launch & Objective
- Launched: 2nd October 2014 (on Gandhi Jayanti)
- Launched by: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (Urban component) & Ministry of Jal Shakti (Rural component)
- Objective: Achieve a “Clean India” through elimination of open defecation, solid waste management, and behavioral change.
Phases of SBM
- SBM Phase I (2014–2019): Focused on construction of toilets and ODF status.
- SBM (Urban) 2.0 (2021–2026): Emphasis on waste processing, air pollution reduction, and sustainable sanitation.
Key Facts
| Swachh Survekshan First Edition | 2016 (Top city: Mysuru, Karnataka) |
| Latest Cleanest City (2024) | Indore, Madhya Pradesh (for 7th consecutive year) |
| Implementing Body | Quality Council of India (QCI) under MoHUA |
| Swachh Bharat Mission Rural | Implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti |
| ODF+ and ODF++ | ODF+: Safe disposal of faecal sludge and septage; ODF++: Management of greywater and solid waste |
| Funding Pattern (Urban) | 60:40 Centre-State for most states; 90:10 for NE states and UTs with legislatures |
| Theme of SBM-U 2.0 | “Garbage-Free Cities” with 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) |
| Nodal Minister (2025) | Manohar Lal Khattar, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) |
| Launch Year of QCI | 1997, under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry |