Swachh Survekshan 2020: Indore is India’s cleanest city for fourth consecutive time, Surat grabs second spot

Swachh Survekshan 2020: Indore has retained the title of India’s cleanest city for the fourth consecutive time. The government on Thursday announced the results of annual survey of cleanliness, Swachh Survekshan 2020 where Indore was followed by Gujarat’s Surat on second spot and Maharashtra’s Navi Mumbai on third. 

Union Housing Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, “I visited Indore a few years ago, along with a member of a Japanese delegation. When we reached the city, I saw he Japanese going to various places in Indore. I asked him ‘what are you doing?’  

“I was trying to find filth, but couldn’t’. I don’t think there could be any bigger testimony to the achievement of the city,” he told Shivraj Singh Chouhan after Indore won the award/ 

This is the fifth edition of the survey that was introduced by PM Modi in January 2016. Mysuru had won the award for the cleanest city of India in the first edition of the survey, while Indore has retained the top position for three consecutive years (2017,2018, 2019).  

A total of 129 top performing cities and states were awarded in the virtual programme called ‘Swachh Mahotsav’. This programme has been organised by the ministry of housing and urban affairs. Swachh Survekshan 2020 covered 4,242 cities, 62 cantonment boards and 92 Ganga towns. This survey was carried out in 28 days. 

Swachh Survekshan is meant to monitor the performance of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was launched on October 2, 2014, the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. It aims to make India open-defecation free by 2019. The survey was introduced by the government with the objective of generating large-scale participation in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.  

This year the results were delayed due to the COVID-19 crisis.