Madurai has once again drawn public attention for all the wrong reasons, emerging as the dirtiest city in India in the recently released Swachh Survekshan 2025 rankings. Chennai, another major Tamil Nadu city, secured the third spot among the country’s least clean urban centres.
The Swachh Survekshan survey, conducted annually under the government’s Swachh Bharat Mission, evaluates cities on sanitation, waste management, and overall cleanliness. While some smaller towns have outperformed India’s biggest metros, cities like Madurai, Chennai, Ludhiana, Ranchi, and Bengaluru continue to struggle with garbage disposal, clogged drains, and poor civic upkeep.
According to the report, Madurai scored only 4,823 out of 12,500 marks in the category of cities with over one million residents, placing it at the bottom among 40 cities. Key problem areas included waste processing (4%), public toilet cleanliness (3%), door-to-door waste collection (37%), source segregation (26%), and remediation of dumpsites (25%).
Despite these low scores, city officials defended their initiatives. “Madurai generates around 850-900 tonnes of waste daily, nearly 60% of which is wet waste. We have activated 30 micro compost centres, and the remaining waste is being processed through biomining at Vellakkal dumping yard, where a biogas plant is under construction,” said a senior corporation official.
The civic body also highlighted efforts to maintain public toilets, claiming full ODF++ certification and regular inspections at bus stands and other public facilities. AI-powered cameras have been installed at key points to prevent open dumping, while festival cleaning drives and desilting operations have been expedited this year.
Residents, however, remain sceptical. Many blame the absence of an elected Mayor and zonal chairpersons for delayed civic improvements. “In areas like K K Nagar, waste piles up due to fewer bins, attracting stray animals. The corporation should increase collection frequency,” said local resident M. Ashok Kumar to The New Indian Express.
Other major cities in the dirtiest list include Ludhiana (second), Chennai (third), Ranchi (fourth), Bengaluru (fifth), Dhanbad (sixth), Faridabad (seventh), Greater Mumbai (eighth), Srinagar (ninth), and Delhi (tenth).
Meanwhile, cities such as Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Lucknow, Raipur, and Jabalpur were recognised among the cleanest urban centres, with metros like Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai earning spots in the new “Super Swachh League” for their sustained commitment to urban cleanliness.
The Swachh Survekshan 2025 rankings underline the ongoing challenge for India’s largest cities: unplanned expansion, inefficient waste disposal, and civic negligence continue to impede the vision of clean, sustainable urban spaces. Madurai’s municipal authorities have pledged to improve waste management and sanitation, aiming for a better ranking in the 2026 survey.
(Source: The New Indian Express)
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