New Delhi: New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has secured the second position in the ‘Clean City’ category among urban local bodies catering to a population of 50,000 to 3 lakh. It retains its rank in the 10th edition of Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 among India’s top-performing civic bodies for urban sanitation and waste management.Dewas in Madhya Pradesh is on top.NDMC was included in the prestigious ‘Super Swachh League City’ category in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 for its sustained performance in cleanliness and waste management for three years. It was among 23 cities recognised for their efforts in sanitation, waste management and green initiatives.NDMC vice-chairperson Kuljeet Singh Chahal said maintaining cleanliness in the NDMC area is challenging as it comprises some of the most prominent and high-footfall locations in Delhi. It has central govt offices, foreign embassies, diplomatic missions, historical and heritage sites, commercial centres, prominent markets and major tourist destinations. Locations like India Gate, Kartavya Path, Connaught Place, Chanakyapuri, Janpath, Khan Market and Sarojini Nagar witness thousands of visitors, office-goers, shoppers, residents and tourists every day.“The heavy footfall and continuous public activities make it a major responsibility to ensure uninterrupted cleanliness throughout the day,” Chahal said, adding that NDMC maintains high standards using modern technology, efficient management and dedicated efforts of its sanitation workforce.NDMC chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said its objective is not merely to secure high rankings in cleanliness surveys but also to provide a clean, healthy and improved urban environment to its residents and visitors. He said the council was focusing on scientific waste management, innovation, modern sanitation practices and active citizen participation.NDMC was recognised as India’s Cleanest Capital in 2020-21, Cleanest Small City in the 1 lakh-3 lakh population category in 2022-23 and Cleanest Union Territory in 2023-24.Chahal said the council has given special priority to strengthening night-time cleaning operations. It uses advanced equipment and technology, minimising disruption to daytime traffic and commercial activities while ensuring its areas begin each morning with clean roads, well-maintained footpaths and a good public environment.NDMC currently processes around 300 tonnes of municipal solid waste daily against its available capacity of 509 tonnes. Eight micro material recovery facilities, along with a network of reduce, reuse and recycle (RRR) centres, contribute to waste segregation and processing.The council is also promoting the concept of ‘Anupam Colonies’ — model zero-waste neighbourhoods aimed at encouraging sustainable waste management at the local level. Nine colonies, including Bharti Nagar and DID2 Chanakyapuri, have already been declared Anupam Colonies.“NDMC is working with RWAs to process horticulture and wet waste within its colonies, thus reducing the amount of waste that needs to be transported for centralised processing,” said its officials.
