Often compared with a scintillating sanitation performance by neighbouring Indore—the cleanest city in the country, Bhopal’s municipal efforts are proving inadequate against persisting sanitation issues, irregular waste collection, and a lack of civic responsibility.

Indore, the financial nerve centre of Madhya Pradesh, has been adjudged the cleanest city in the country during six consecutive national sanitation surveys of the Swachh Bharat Mission between 2017-2023.

While a call to any landline number in Indore is met with exhortations for better sanitation in the city, the municipal body in Bhopal is still struggling to rid the city of Garbage Vulnerable (GV) points.

Mohammad Sohail says that his 2,000-odd square feet residential plot in the Kaziq Camp area of the old city is one such spot. He says that repeated requests have failed to stop neighbours from dumping waste at the site where he plans to build his family home.

"The sleep-wake pattern is responsible. By the time people in the neighbourhood wake up, the municipal waste collection activity is already over, and people simply dump waste at any convenient location," says Sohail.

Rekha Sahu, a resident of Shiv Nagar at Karond, links the irregular waste collection in her area to the problem. "Collection vehicles do not come regularly. Residents face a lot of difficulty in disposing of garbage," she laments.

"This forces residents in her neighbourhood to seek alternative methods of disposing of waste, which can lead to very unhygienic conditions," she adds.

Aadil Khan, a resident of Khanugaon, echoes similar concerns, saying, "People dump waste by the roadsides and at any open space."

"Such practices not only create an eyesore but also pose health and environmental hazards," says Khan, whose neighbourhood stands on the banks of the Upper Lake.

Sachin, a resident, states that the whole process of waste disposal is not efficient. "Mounds of waste from drains are left for days before being removed."

With citizens blaming the BMC for continuing unhygienic practices in the city, Anil Barthe—a sanitation worker at the civic body—complains about the lack of civic sense that prevails in several localities.

"Despite constant counselling, instructions, and even spot fines, people continue to throw both wet and dry wastes inside the garbage vehicle. Although we clean neighbourhoods thoroughly, waste just piles up within hours."

"We continue to clean up as it is our job, but support from residents is crucial for changes in the sanitation scene," he reminds.

Assistant Health Officer at BMC's Zone 19, Ramakant Yadav, says that problems persist despite the municipal body's move to impose spot fines on those refusing to adhere to sanitation guidelines. He says the sanitation challenge continues to remain tough mainly because residents in the city simply refuse to act responsibly.

While there is no denying the robust BMC impetus on the sanitation front, ground realities in several middle-class localities in the city suggest that it may be a while before Bhopal overcomes Indore to emerge as the cleanest city in the state, and the country.