Lucknow: A total of six cities, including Prayagraj and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, will be awarded Swachh Survekshan 2023 for yet another year, the Urban Development Department has informed. According to an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office, “Uttar Pradesh is set to shine in Swachh Survekshan 2023 for yet another year. While Prayagraj and Varanasi are set to bag the prestigious President’s Award, a total of six cities in Uttar Pradesh will be awarded in different categories, the Urban Development Department has informed.”
The Swachha Survekshan Awards will be announced on January 11, 2024, in New Delhi.
Swachh Survekshan’s 2023 results reveal that 129 cities in Uttar Pradesh have achieved ODF++ status, reflecting adherence to open defecation-free standards and sustainable waste management practices. This year marks significant positive progress, with 648 cities in the state receiving the Open Defecation Free (ODF) certificate, a notable increase from the 588 cities awarded last year.
Apart from this, 435 cities in the state have attained ODF+ status, showcasing the commitment of the Yogi government towards cleanliness in the state.
Apart from this, in terms of the “Garbage Free City Certificate,” the strides made in Uttar Pradesh are truly noteworthy.
Last year, 11 cities secured the esteemed Garbage Free City title; this year, the number has surged to encompass 65 cities. Noida has achieved a remarkable 5-star rating.
Furthermore, eight cities, including Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Kanpur, Ghaziabad, Aligarh, Jhansi, and Firozabad, have earned a 3-star rating.
Besides this, 56 state cities have been awarded a 1-star rating, underscoring the government’s dedication to fostering a garbage-free environment. Many cities in Uttar Pradesh are now moving towards a 7-star rating.
Additionally, continuous efforts are being made by the government to elevate more cities to achieve 5 and 3-star ratings.
Also Read: Indore Bags Swachh Vayu Sarvekshan 2023 Award For Cleanest Air
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
