Lucknow: Lucknow has retained its third position nationally for the second consecutive year among cities with a population of 10 lakh or more in the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 rankings released on Wednesday.Ahmedabad and Bhopal, that occupied the first and second positions last year, could not repeat their rankings.The achievement earned Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) a national award from President Droupadi Murmu at the Swachh Survekshan Awards ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday. The award was received by UP urban development minister AK Sharma, mayor Sushma Kharkwal, principal secretary (urban development) P Guruprasad and municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar.Key factors behind the achievement have been the municipal corporation’s large-scale waste processing initiatives, including 100% waste segregation, treatment of nearly 20 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste, elimination of garbage dumps and reclamation of around 46 acres for productive use. The green cover initiative under ‘ek ped maa ke naam’ also impacted the rankings; under this initiative, more than three lakh plant saplings are being planted across the city to maintain the green spaces.Lucknow has also adopted a decentralised collection and centralised processing model that includes door-to-door segregation, compost production from biodegradable waste, utilisation of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) and scientific management of construction and demolition waste. Visakhapatnam and Jabalpur, that occupied the first and second positions last year, could not repeat their rankings.Officials said the civic body has also strengthened sanitation operations through the use of electric vehicles, GPS-enabled waste collection fleets and digital dashboards that allow real-time monitoring of collection and transportation activities. Citizen engagement played a significant role in the city’s performance, with awareness drives, street plays, outreach programmes and community initiatives encouraging residents to adopt waste segregation and cleanliness practices.Earlier this year, the city secured first place nationally in Swachh Vayu Survekshan among cities with a population above 10 lakh. In another achievement, Ward No. 70 (Paper Mill Colony) secured the top national rank in the category of wards with populations exceeding 30,000.Looking ahead, LMC is planning a horticulture waste processing plant, a bio-CNG facility and a waste-to-energy plant to further strengthen sustainable waste management and move towards its zero-dump-site policy, with awareness among citizens about not dumping garbage in open areas. Officials said the city’s integrated model of waste collection, scientific processing, digital monitoring, electric mobility and citizen participation could serve as a benchmark for other urban local bodies across the country.
