Navi Mumbai retained its third-place ranking in the 2023 Swachhta Survey, a testament to the city's sustained focus on cleanliness and citizen participation. This marks the second consecutive year Navi Mumbai has secured the top spot in Maharashtra for cleanliness.
"Active citizen participation played a crucial role in achieving this feat," acknowledged Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar upon receiving the award. The survey heavily weighs public engagement, which NMMC actively fostered through a range of initiatives.
The civic body implemented various initiatives to empower residents and encourage their participation. Beyond organizing marathons, NMMC actively involved citizens in mass road cleanups. "Transforming the slogan 'My Garbage, My Responsibility' into action, thousands of residents across all wards took the initiative to honor sanitation workers by giving them a day off and cleaning streets themselves," said Dr. Baba Saheb Rajale, Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Solid Waste Management. "This outpouring of community spirit showcases their love for their city and commitment to its cleanliness."
Recognizing the need for responsible waste disposal, the civic body encouraged residents to donate unwanted household items, clothes, and materials to the needy instead of throwing them away. "We often see clothes, shoes, toys, and other usable items ending up in the garbage, contributing significantly to daily waste generation," explained Rajale. To combat this, NMMC introduced the unique concept of "donation shelves." "We established 30 shelves across the city with the message 'Give what you don't want, take what you need,' where residents can donate unwanted items and those in need can find useful things."
During 2023, the civic body received the 'Best of India Record’ for record number of citizens’ participation in 'Indian Swachhta League'. “A cleanliness oath and involvement in a mangrove cleaning campaign, around 114,000 citizens and students from all eight wards participated,” said Dr Rajale. He added that the civic body also involved around 250 third genders in the mission of cleanliness.
Similarly, the Swachh Painting Competition witnessed a record-breaking participation of 283,144 students, securing its place in the Best of India record. The significant involvement of school students, representing the future of Navi Mumbai, added a distinctive feature to this threefold record initiative. This year, Indore and Surat jointly claimed the first rank. The award was presented to Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Narvekar by President Draupadi Murmu on Thursday.
In addition to the third rank, NMMC has earned the coveted 'Seven Star Rating' in the 'Waste-Free Cities' category, making Navi Mumbai the sole city in Maharashtra to achieve this distinction. Remarkably, only two cities in the country hold the prestigious Seven Star Rating for being waste-free. Similarly, in the Open Defecation Free (ODF) category, Navi Mumbai has received the highest rating of 'Water Plus.' This recognition underscores the city's commitment to sanitation and cleanliness.
Apart from Navi Mumbai, Pune has also secured position in the top 10 cleanest cities. It ranked 10th in the 8th edition of Swachh Survekshan which was conducted to study the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) and rank the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) based on various cleanliness and sanitation parameters.` Swachh Survekshan has evolved significantly, expanding from the assessment of 73 cities in 2016 to covering 4,477 cities this year.