Lucknow, November 12 (TNA) Lucknow has retained its position as the third cleanest city in India among cities with a population of over 10 lakh in the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 rankings. The city became the only top-tier urban centre to hold the same rank for two consecutive years.
The results were announced at the 10th Swachh Survekshan Awards ceremony in New Delhi on Wednesday, where President Droupadi Murmu honoured the country’s best-performing cities. Greater Visakhapatnam secured the first position, followed by Jabalpur in second and Lucknow in third.
Consistent Performance
Lucknow’s third-place finish marks a repeat of last year’s ranking, making it the only city in the million-plus population category to retain its position for two years in a row. Ahmedabad and Bhopal, which had occupied the first and second spots last year, failed to repeat their rankings.
The recognition reflects sustained performance in sanitation, waste management and civic cleanliness under the Swachh Bharat Mission framework.
UP Cities Also Shine
Alongside Lucknow, three other Uttar Pradesh cities earned national recognition. Ghaziabad emerged as the cleanest city in the state, while Varanasi secured a place among the country’s top three riverfront cities. Noida retained its position in the Super Swachh League. The performance of these cities has strengthened Uttar Pradesh’s presence in the national cleanliness rankings.
Challenges Remain
Despite the strong ranking, Lucknow continues to face complaints over erratic door-to-door garbage collection, open dumping sites and dusty roads. Civic officials have acknowledged that waste management remains a key challenge for the city. Maintaining the third position will require sustained investment in waste processing, sanitation infrastructure and last-mile service delivery.
Recognition at National Level
The Swachh Survekshan is the Centre’s flagship annual cleanliness survey, assessing cities on sanitation, waste management and citizen feedback. Lucknow’s consistent third-place finish underscores its growing reputation as one of India’s cleaner large cities.
The award was received by Uttar Pradesh Urban Development and Energy Minister A.K. Sharma, Mayor Sushma Kharkwal, Principal Secretary (Urban Development) P. Guruprasad and Municipal Commissioner Gaurav Kumar at the ceremony in New Delhi.