Swachh Survekshan 2023: 10 dirtiest cities in India are in West Bengal

As many as 13 awardees received felicitations under categories of clean cities, cleanest cantonment, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Ganga towns and best performing state were given away.

| Updated: 13 January, 2024 5:42 pm IST

Bengal's Filthy Ten: The sorry tale of cleanliness in Didi's state

NEW DELHI: In the recent Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023, West Bengal has found itself in an embarrassing position, breaking records for all the wrong reasons. With the top 10 dirtiest cities in India over the population of 1 lakh, the state’s alleged development, as asserted by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, comes under scrutiny.

*President Draupadi Murmu felicitated the awards*

President Droupadi Murmu conferred the awards at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). As many as 13 awardees received felicitations under categories of clean cities, cleanest cantonment, SafaiMitra Suraksha, Ganga towns and best performing state were given away.

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The annual survey, encompassing 4,447 urban local bodies and over 12 crore citizen responses, unveiled the grim reality of cleanliness in a state that prides itself on progress.

FLASH: Deeply disturbing incident in Purulia, West Bengal. Sadhus en route to Gangasagar for Makar Sankranti brutally attacked, stripped, and beaten by a mob.#TMC #Hindus pic.twitter.com/u64FErPo3a

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) January 13, 2024

The Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023 disclosed that all 10 dirtiest cities in India are nestled in West Bengal, showcasing the stark contrast between development rhetoric and ground reality. From Kalyani to Bhatpara, the list includes major cities like Kolkata and Howrah, once known for their cultural significance.

Howrah, the second most populated city in the state, emerged as the dirtiest according to the survey. Despite promises of transformation under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime since 2011, the city grappled with unplanned constructions, alleged illegal structures, and inadequate drainage systems. The decline in industrial units during the Communist era did little to enhance cleanliness, as evident from the survey’s findings.

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Speaking at the Swachh Survekshan awards event in New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu said that if we deeply understand the concept of value from waste, it becomes clear that everything is valuable and nothing is waste.https://t.co/l5hs7J7Vmb pic.twitter.com/goP4l8zTyw

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) January 11, 2024

The awards also highlighted the dismal state of other West Bengal cities, such as Kalyani, Madhyamgram, Krishnanagar, Asansol, Rishra, Bidhannagar, and Kanchrapara, contributing to the overall poor performance of the state. The lack of improvement in cleanliness, despite being a recurring issue, reflected poorly on the government’s commitment to basic sanitation.

Meanwhile, in the same awards ceremony, Varanasi and Prayagraj claimed the top two awards among the Cleanest Ganga Towns, while Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh received accolades for Best Performing State. Chandigarh walked away with the award for the Best Safaimitra Surakshit Sheher.

As Bengal grapples with the dubious honour of hosting the 10 dirtiest cities in India, it is high time for the state government, led by Mamata Banerjee, to address the issues at hand and prioritise the cleanliness and well-being of its cities.