Yes, Navi Mumbai received the leading Clean Cities of Super Swachh League award in the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 results announced on 11 November. Surat and Vijayawada followed.
But a second headline names Visakhapatnam India’s cleanest million-plus city. Both refer to official awards, with different categories behind them. Treating the announcements as one uninterrupted national ranking would give readers the wrong comparison.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards in New Delhi. The official results announcement identifies the categories separately.
Key Highlights
- Navi Mumbai leads the Clean Cities of Super Swachh League awardees.
- Visakhapatnam tops the million-plus Swachh Shehar category.
- Indore–Depalpur placed second in the Swachh Shehar Jodi awards.
Navi Mumbai’s 2026 Award and Earlier Results
Reports describing Navi Mumbai as India’s cleanest city refer to the latest award announced in November 2026, formally titled Swachh Survekshan 2025–26. The survey edition and announcement year should appear together when comparing results.
The 2024–25 awards announcement, issued on 17 July 2025, placed established performers including Indore, Surat and Navi Mumbai in the Super Swachh League. Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Lucknow were named the leading Swachh Shehar awardees that year.
There is a documentation caveat in the latest edition:
- Published toolkit: It says Super Swachh League cities would not be ranked against one another.
- Final announcement: The ministry nevertheless names Navi Mumbai, Surat and Vijayawada as the league’s top three clean cities.
The 2025–26 toolkit and final announcement therefore need reading together. The published material reviewed does not explain that difference. Reporting the final award alongside its category avoids presenting it as a single table covering every participating city.
All India Radio News posted coverage of the ceremony on X, including Navi Mumbai’s recognition.
Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 Winners by Award Category
A riverfront award assesses a different setting from a large-city award. The latest winners illustrate why the category name belongs beside the city.
| Award Category | First | Second | Third |
| Clean Cities of Super Swachh League | Navi Mumbai | Surat | Vijayawada |
| Swachh Shehar: Million-Plus Population | GVMC Visakhapatnam | Jabalpur | Lucknow |
| Swachh River Front Town | Rewa | Bilaspur | Varanasi |
| Swachh Coastal Town | Puri | Alappuzha | Ratnagiri |
| Clean Himalayan City | Rudrapur | Jammu | Shopian |
| Swachh Shehar Jodi | Ahmedabad–Sanand | Indore–Depalpur | Tirupati–Kuppam |
Indore’s position needs particular care. Its second-place award recognises the Indore–Depalpur partnership, rather than placing Indore second below Navi Mumbai in the same competition.
For Swachh Shehar Jodi, the ministry uses the combined score of a mentor city and its paired mentee. The award recognises their joint performance and collaboration, including improvements in service delivery. That is a different comparison from judging an individual city’s cleanliness.
The broader awards also include five population categories and State First Swachh City recognition. Consequently, several cities can receive a “cleanest” description without sharing the same award.
How Cities Were Assessed and What Residents Can Check
This edition covered 4,751 cities, and the ministry reported feedback from 2.70 crore citizens. The pre-awards briefing describes 43 indicators across 10 assessment areas, evaluated by more than 3,000 trained assessors.
The toolkit allocates 12,500 marks: 10,500 for on-ground assessment including citizen feedback, plus 2,000 for certification. Waste processing and sanitation access feature alongside visible cleanliness; the exercise goes beyond photographs of swept roads.
Navi Mumbai’s commissioner told The Times of India that local work included roadside and skywalk cleaning, enforcement of waste-management rules and attention to busy public spaces. These are the civic administration’s explanations of its work, rather than an independent audit of every neighbourhood.
Look Beyond the Award Photograph
For residents, two checks remain useful after the ceremony:
- Collection and segregation: Note missed collections or recurring mixed-waste dumping near your building.
- Complaint resolution: Keep the location and complaint reference so you can follow whether the reported problem receives attention.
At the ceremony, the President called for continuing citizen feedback, extending beyond surveys and rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ULB mean in Swachh Survekshan?
ULB means urban local body, the municipal institution responsible for local urban administration. Survey references to ULBs concern participating civic bodies rather than states or entire metropolitan regions.
Is a Garbage Free City star rating the same award?
No. Garbage Free City certification contributes to the assessment framework, but its star rating is a separate designation from a city’s Swachh Survekshan award or category position.
Can residents report sanitation problems after their city wins?
Yes. Winning does not close the complaints process. The President encouraged residents to report shortcomings and use continuing feedback to help municipal administrations address local sanitation problems.
Does the award guarantee cleanliness in every neighbourhood?
A city-level award records performance under the survey framework. It does not establish that every street remains litter-free or that every local complaint has already been resolved.
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