The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has bagged the seventh rank under the “cleanest cities” category in the Centre’s annual cleanliness survey, along with a 5 Star Garbage Free City Ranking and Water Plus Certified City; Delhi Cantonment was ranked 7th in the cantonment board category while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has been ranked 90th among 446 urban local bodies, the results of which were announced on Thursday. This is the first time the MCD has taken part in the Central Government’s annual cleanliness survey, after the three civic bodies which existed earlier were unified again into a single entity in 2022.
In the city report card released under the Swachh Survekshan, the NDMC has received 99 per cent in the door-to-door collection of waste, 87 per cent in source segregation, 100 in waste generation versus processing and remediation of dumpsites, cleanliness of water bodies and public toilets and 93 per cent in the cleanliness of residential and market areas.
“Proud moment! NDMC secured Rank 7 in All India Clean City category. Moved 2 rank up from Rank 9 to Rank 7. NDMC also got 5 star garbage free city and the cleanest city within Union Territory in Swachh Survekshan 2023 award. Next year, NDMC will strive to be in top three city,” the New Delhi Municipal Council said in a post on X.
The Swachhta Awards were handed over by President Droupadi Murmu and Minister of MOUHA Hardeep Singh Puri at the ceremony attended by Chief Minister Indore , Chief Minister Chattisgarh and numerous other dignitaries, including various Urban Development Ministers from States, Mayors, Mission Directors, Municipal Commissioners and City Officials from various States and Union Territories across the country.
The award is a recognition of the civic body’s continued efforts to ensure excellence in service standards and provide world-class civic amenities to its residents.
NDMC Chairman Amit Yadav congratulated the employees, especially the “safai sevaks”, and said the credit for getting the awards and ranking goes to the hard work of the entire team, the civic body said in a statement. Yadav noted that the NDMC has moved two ranks up in the ranking since last year — from the ninth to the seventh spot.
“We need to continue with dedication and focus to improve to provide best all-round services to New Delhi. Next year, we should strive to be in the top three cities,” he said.The award is in alignment with “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a garbage-free India under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0”, the statement said. The theme of the eighth edition of the survey was “Waste to Wealth for Garbage Free Cities”.
The NDMC expressed gratitude to the residents and visitors to the area under its jurisdiction for making it the cleanest capital city within a Union Territory.
“The accolade is a testament to NDMC’s holistic approach to waste management, public awareness campaigns, and innovative initiatives that have significantly contributed to the city’s overall cleanliness. This accomplishment positions NDMC as a frontrunner in India’s mission for a cleaner and healthier urban landscape,” the statement said. NDMC Vice Chairman Satish Upadhyay hoped that the civic body will achieve the top rank in the coming years by making significant progress.
“We must continue with our unwavering dedication to providing the best all-round services to the people of New Delhi while striving to achieve the pinnacle of cleanliness and civic excellence,” he said.
The MCD has been ranked 90th among 446 urban local bodies in ‘Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023’’. This is the first time the MCD has taken part in the central government’s annual cleanliness survey, after the three civic bodies which existed earlier were unified again into a single entity in 2022.
Taking a dig at the AAP government, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the Arvind Kejriwal government had promised to make Delhi a Paris but the MCD has been ranked 90th in the swachh survekshan. “Delhi’s sanitation services have gone down to the worst level during Kejriwal’s tenure,” he added.
The erstwhile MCD, set up in 1958, was trifurcated into — NDMC (North Delhi Municipal Corporation), SDMC (South Delhi Municipal Corporation) and EDMC (East Delhi Municipal Corporation) — in 2012.
In May 2022, the three civic bodies were merged again with Gyanesh Bharti and Ashwani Kumar taking charge as its municipal commissioner and special officer, respectively. In ‘Swachh Survekshan 2022’, the NDMC was ranked 37th, the EDMC 34th and the SDMC 28th, in the category of cities with a population of more than 10 lakh.
