Patna: The results of the 2024 Swachhta Survey are expected to be announced by July 20, with Patna aiming for a place in the top 20 cleanest cities in India. After years of gradual improvement, city officials are optimistic about the capital’s performance in this year’s cleanliness rankings.
Patna ranked 25th in 2023, up from 38th in 2022 and 44th in 2021. The city’s lowest point came in 2020, when it was declared the dirtiest among cities with populations exceeding 10 lakh, placing last at number 47.
Officials from the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) attribute the upward trend to consistent efforts to meet the parameters set by the central government. “We’ve taken concrete steps year after year to align with the cleanliness criteria,” a senior PMC official said.
One of the most visible efforts came in 2023, when the corporation cleared 650 garbage dumping points across the city. These once-unhygienic sites have been repurposed for community engagement. Activities such as health check-ups, blood donation drives, communal meals, oath-taking ceremonies for cleanliness, and rangoli competitions are now routinely held at these formerly blighted areas.
Such initiatives align with the citizen engagement criteria in the Swachhta rankings, which reward creative and sustained efforts to promote public participation in cleanliness drives.
The civic body has also stepped up enforcement against street vendors who contribute to littering, imposing regular fines and issuing daily advisories to maintain hygiene in public areas.
However, Patna’s waste management infrastructure remains a critical concern. The city generates approximately 1,200 tonnes of waste daily, but much of it continues to be dumped in landfills. Despite the visible progress, the lack of a functioning waste processing plant means that long-term sustainability remains in question.
“The absence of a solid waste management facility is a major hurdle,” said a local environmental activist. “Without proper segregation and processing of dry and wet waste, Patna risks falling back on its progress.”
