Swachh Survekshan: Awards galore for Telangana, Hyderabad is Best Self Sustainable Mega City

HYDERABAD: Telangana was adjudged to be the second-best performing State in the country under the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge 2021, an initiative under the Swachh Bharat Mission.The results of Swachh Survekshan 2021 under Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), the Central government’s annual survey of cleanliness, hygiene and sanitation in towns and cities in the country, were announced on Saturday. 

Greater Hyderabad received an award in the category of Best Self Sustainable Mega City with a population of above 40 lakh, while towns and cities in Telangana bagged a total of 12 awards under various categories. President Ram Nath Kovind gave away the awards to winners at the ‘Swachh Amrit Mahotsav’ hosted by MoHUA at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Saturday.

“Telangana bags 12 awards under @SwachSurvekshan-2021 Ranks. These awards have come as a recognition to the all-round development taken place in towns and cities of Telangana under the programmes like Palle Pragathi and Pattana Pragathi,” MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao tweeted on Saturday. 

Health Minister T Harish Rao also expressed happiness over the Siddipet municipality, which falls under the MLA’s constituency, getting awarded under the Self Sustaining City category and hailed the active participation of the people. He said that the municipality had won almost 17 awards in various fields.

From the Southern states, cities from Telugu states like Vijayawada, GVMC Visakhapatnam and Greater Hyderabad featured in the top 20 cleanest cities of the country. Interestingly, no other city from Southern states could enter the top 20 list. 

Hyderabad stood in 13th place by securing 4,551 marks in the survey. This is a quantum jump for the city, as against a ranking of 23 last year, in the ‘more than 10 lakh population’ group. The overall ranking of the city is 37, among 4,320 cities across the country. Secunderabad Cantonment Board was declared a self sustaining cantonment.