Swachh Survekshan: Chandigarh second cleanest city in country, Karnal tops in Haryana
In the new results of Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, Chandigarh has secured the second position nationwide in the 3 to 10 lakh population category, while Karnal has been declared the cleanest city in Haryana.
During the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 award ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, Chandigarh and Karnal achieved major milestones at the national level. In these awards presented by President Droupadi Murmu, Chandigarh maintained its second rank nationwide for the consecutive second year among cities with a population of 3 to 10 lakh.
Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh stood first and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh third in this category. Chandigarh Mayor Saurabh Joshi and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Amit Kumar received the honor. The Mayor credited this achievement to the cooperation of the corporation's sanitation workers, officers, and city residents. The campaign launched by the city to clear the legacy waste dumps at Daddumajra also proved effective in this ranking.
On the other hand, Karnal has been declared the cleanest city in Haryana. In the presence of Union Urban Development Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goyal, Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, and Corporation Commissioner Saloni Sharma received the award from the President. Karnal has also secured a place among the top three cities in the country in the 50,000 to 3 lakh population category, the final national ranking of which will be released this week.
In the same event, the holy city of Sri Anandpur Sahib was declared the cleanest city of Punjab, with the award received by Cabinet Minister Harjot Singh Bains. According to the survey details, Punjab's major municipal corporations Ludhiana and Amritsar failed to secure a place in the leading ten cities.
A total of 4,751 urban bodies from across the country participated in this 10th Swachh Survekshan conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Out of these, national awards have been given to 63 selected units based on various parameters of better sanitation management, garbage collection, and disposal.
Key developments
- Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 awards were distributed by President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
- Chandigarh retained the second position nationwide in the 3 to 10 lakh population category.
- Karnal was chosen as the cleanest city of Haryana.
- Sri Anandpur Sahib remained the cleanest city of Punjab, while Ludhiana and Amritsar lagged behind.
