Hyderabad Bags Telangana’s First Swachh Tag
The recognition was conferred under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, conducted by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs to assess cleanliness and sanitation standards in urban local bodies.
Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad has been recognised as Telangana’s first Swachh City under Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) receiving the national award from President Droupadi Murmu at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, GHMC commissioner R.V. Karnan and HMDA commissioner Sarfaraz Ahmed received the award.
The recognition was conferred under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban, conducted by the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs to assess cleanliness and sanitation standards in urban local bodies.
The survey evaluated cities for a total of 10,500 marks across 10 major parameters, including visible cleanliness, waste segregation, door-to-door garbage collection, transportation, solid waste management, sanitation facilities, used-water management, sanitation workers’ welfare and citizen feedback.
According to GHMC, Hyderabad’s performance was assessed through third-party field inspections in April and May 2026, covering sanitation infrastructure, waste management, sewage treatment and public feedback.
GHMC commissioner Karnan credited the achievement to the sustained efforts of sanitation workers, particularly sanitation field assistants and Safai Karamcharis, supported by effective administration.
He said the award would strengthen GHMC’s resolve to improve sanitation standards and make Hyderabad cleaner, greener and more sustainable. He also thanked citizens for their cooperation.
Hyderabad received Open Defecation Free (ODF) status in 2017 and ODF++ status in 2019. In 2021, GHMC became the first urban local body in Telangana to secure Water Plus certification, retaining it in 2023 and 2024.
In Swachh Survekshan 2024, Hyderabad ranked sixth among cities with populations exceeding 10 lakh. It also secured a five-star Garbage Free City rating in 2023 and a seven-star rating in 2024.
Under the Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative, GHMC served as a mentor to Manthani and Cheriyal municipalities, conducting training programmes and capacity-building workshops to improve sanitation standards.