In November 2025, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) released Swachh Survekshan (SS) 2025 rankings. As per the 2025 ranking, Madurai (Tamil Nadu, TN) with a score of 4,823 out of 12,500, has been ranked the dirtiest among Indian cities with a population above 10 lakhs.
- Madurai encompasses a SS2024 score of 4,643 out of 10,000, Garbage Free City (GFC) certification score of 0 out of 1,300, and Open-Defecation Free (ODF) certification score of 1,000.
Exam Hints:
- What? Swach Survekshan 2025 was released
- Who? MoHUA
- Over 10 lakh population: Madurai (4,823), Ludhiana (5,272), Chennai (6,822)
- 3-10 lakhs: Mathura Cantonment (3,452), Erode (4,911), Kollam (5,376)
- 50,000 – 3 lakhs: Jhalod (9,203), Porbandar (9,084), Port Blair (9,096)
- 20,000 – 50,000: Alirajpur (9,151), Sihora (9,189), Manavar (9,199)
- Less than 20,000: Narayangarh (9,576), Chandrapur (9,584), Teosa (9,586)
Highlights of the Report:
Swach Survekshan 2025:
Overview: Swachh Survekshan (SS) is the world’s largest urban cleanliness survey, evaluating cities based on waste management, sanitation infrastructure, and public participation.
Edition: SS 2024-24, established in 2016 under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), marks the 9th edition, focusing on Reduce-Reuse-Recycle (3R), highlighting the national push for sustainable urban development by evaluating over 4500 cities.
Awards: In July 2025, President of India Droupadi Murmu conferred 78 awards across 4 categories based on the newly introduced Super Swachh League Cities, Swachh Sahar in 5 Population Categories, Special Category Awards, and the State-Level Awards.
- The “Super Swachh League” category honours cities that have secured a top three position in the Swachh Survekshan rankings for three or more consecutive years.
Assessment: The survey assessed 4,589 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), 58 Cantonment Boards, and 88 Ganga Towns, with a total of 14.66 million online feedback and 2.21 million face-to-face responses.
- Over 3000 assessors conducted intensive field evaluations over 45 days, examining 95,120 wards, 19,895 commercial zones, 28,708 residential sectors, 26,792 Census Towns (CTs), 29,240 plant facilities, and 23,839 schools.
Madurai: It scored full marks in parameters such as cleanliness in market areas, water bodies, and residential zones. It secured less scores in key indicators such as waste generation versus processing, securing 4%, cleanliness of public toilets (3%), door-to-door collection (37%), source segregation (26%), and remediation of dumpsites (25%).
Lowest Ranked Indian Cities:
| Category (Population) | Rank | City | State | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| More than 10 Lakhs | 36 | Bengaluru | Karnataka | 5,642 |
| 37 | Ranchi | Jharkhand | 6,835 | |
| 38 | Chennai | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 6,822 | |
| 39 | Ludhiana | Punjab | 5,272 | |
| 40 | Madurai | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 4,823 | |
| 3-10 lakhs | 91 | Salem | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 5,633 |
| 92 | Tumkur | Karnataka | 5,590 | |
| 93 | Kollam | Kerala | 5,376 | |
| 94 | Erode | Tamil Nadu (TN) | 4,911 | |
| 95 | Mathura Cantonment | Uttar Pradesh (UP) | 3,452 | |
| 50,000 – 3 lakhs | 96 | Patan | Gujarat | 9,135 |
| 97 | Ratnagiri | Maharashtra | 9,129 | |
| 98 | Gondal | Gujarat | 9,100 | |
| 99 | Port Blair | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 9,096 | |
| 100 | Porbandar | Gujarat | 9,084 | |
| 20,000 – 50,000 | 96 | Jhalod | Gujarat | 9,203 |
| 97 | Barwaha | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,202 | |
| 98 | Manavar | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,199 | |
| 99 | Sihora | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,189 | |
| 100 | Alirajpur | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,151 | |
| Less than 20,000 | 96 | Ratangarh | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,602 |
| 97 | Kasai Dodamarg | Maharashtra | 9,586 | |
| 98 | Teosa | Maharashtra | 9,586 | |
| 99 | Chandrapur | Chhattisgarh | 9,584 | |
| 100 | Narayangarh | Madhya Pradesh (MP) | 9,576 |
About the Ministry of Home and Urban Affairs (MoHUA):
Union Minister – Manohar Lal Khattar (Constituency – Karnal, Haryana)
Minister of State (MoS) – Tokhan Sahu (Constituency – Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh)
