Gurgaon 41st cleanest city, climbs nearly 100 spots in Swachh Sarvekshan 2024-’25 rankings

The city holds a Water+ certification in the open defecation-free category, indicating advanced wastewater and sewage treatment and reuse systems that meet environmental standards.

However, it has not achieved a Garbage-Free City (GFC) star rating under comprehensive waste management that includes assessment of segregation, processing, and elimination of open dumping.

“With the help of residents, the city will aim to move to the top 10 rank in future surveys,” a Gurgaon Municipal Corporation spokesperson said.

Gurgaon Mayor Rajrani Malhotra hailed the achievement, stating that it reflects the collective efforts of residents and the municipal team.

“With continued public support, Gurgaon will aim to rank among the cleanest cities next year. Residents are urged to segregate waste, hand it over to municipal vehicles on time, avoid littering public spaces, and promptly report cleanliness issues on the corporation’s portal or app. This progress not only enhances Gurgaon’s image but also sets an inspiring example under the Swachh Bharat Mission.”

Pradeep Dahiya, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) Commissioner, emphasised that the 41st rank is a result of teamwork involving elected representatives, sanitation workers, officials, and the public.

“The corporation is committed to sustained efforts to ensure Gurgaon ranks among the top clean cities in the next survey. Priorities include improving waste disposal, increasing D2D collection, enhancing source segregation, developing green zones, and launching cleanliness awareness campaigns,” Dahiya said.

Karnal was ranked the cleanest city in Haryana with a national ranking of three.

Residents express shock at rankings

However, the results have come as a surprise for residents, with many raising doubts about the quantum jump in the rankings, although garbage is widely visible. “It has to be a lie, it cannot be true, as one does not see any visible changes. Construction and demolition waste, open dumping, as well as wet waste, are seen all around. The only segregation that is done by bulk waste generators (residences, establishments, and institutes that produce over 100kg of dialy waste) and RWAs that can afford to charge user fees for the same,” Kusum Sharma, Residents Welfare Association member, Suncity, Sector 54, said.

Chaitali Mandhotra, Ardee City RWA member and convenor of the United Gurugram RWAs forum, Sector 52, expressed shock at the rankings as garbage is dumped in the open all around the city. “Anything can be done in this country this means. How can there still be such a big jump? There is little to no segregation or even pick up unless the areas pay”, Mandhotra said.

The latest rankings assume significance at a time when residents in Gurgaon have called for the municipal corporation to promptly transfer sanitation duties to Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) amid the rising garbage menace. Despite a proposed agreement for RWAs to take over these responsibilities, no formal policy has been established.

In a meeting on May 18, more than 60 RWAs in Gurgaon had resolved to take over sanitation duties from the municipal corporation. The decision received in-principle approval from the previous municipal commissioner Ashok Garg, but the handover of sanitation duties has not commenced formally.

Residents have alleged that current policies do not adequately address the garbage issues, leading residents to hire additional labour at their own expense. The existing policy only deals with the operation and maintenance of sanitation in sectors without specifying the number of labourers needed to be posted, said residents.