Patna: Patna has moved a step closer to securing national recognition for urban cleanliness after the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) qualified for a five-star rating in the desktop assessment phase of the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26, the annual nationwide survey that ranks India’s cities on sanitation and waste management standards.
The qualification places the Bihar capital in contention for higher honours, with the next and more rigorous stage a field assessment by a central government team expected in the coming weeks. While the desktop review evaluates documents and self-reported performance data, the field inspection will test on-ground realities, including waste disposal systems, sewage treatment and public hygiene.
City officials say the improved standing builds on last year’s progress, when Patna ranked 21st among cities with populations above one million and earned a three-star Garbage Free City rating. Nearly 650 informal garbage points were removed during that period, a move the corporation credits for boosting its score. This year, authorities claim they have scaled up efforts to further strengthen compliance and infrastructure.
Under the direction of municipal commissioner Yashpal Meena, sanitation campaigns have been launched across all wards. Drains and back lanes are being cleared, garbage hotspots dismantled and encroached spaces reclaimed for public use. Officials say these measures are intended not only to improve cleanliness metrics but also to enhance the city’s appearance and accessibility.
Door-to-door waste collection has been made mandatory, with branded vehicles deployed for daily pickups. Residents are being encouraged to segregate wet and dry waste at source an area where the city previously lost marks. Civic teams are also appointing “Nagar Mitras”, or ward-level volunteers, alongside brand ambassadors to raise awareness through murals, street cleaning drives and neighbourhood outreach programmes.
Enforcement has also been tightened. Littering, open defecation and spitting of pan or tobacco can now attract fines of up to Rs 500. Surveillance through the Integrated Command and Control Centre and regular inspections aim to curb what officials describe as “red” and “yellow” sanitation spots that could result in heavy score deductions during the field audit.
The corporation is coordinating with traffic police to regulate vending and parking at key intersections, while wastewater from households is being routed to sewage treatment plants and recycled for use in fogging vehicles, a step authorities say will also help reduce pollution.
This year’s survey, guided by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, carries the theme “New initiatives for cleanliness – join hands for a cleaner city”, with rankings based on a 12,500-point system. The central assessment team is expected to visit Patna in late February or March, when the city’s claims will face their most decisive test on the ground.
