- By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
- Sun, 02 Nov 2025 05:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
India’s dichotomy in urban planning has once again been highlighted in the latest report of Swacch Survekshan 2025, which has thrown the spotlight on the prominent metropolises of India, like Bengaluru, Chennai, etc. The report highlights the sorry state of urban planning in these cities despite a decade of nationwide cleanliness campaigns like the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’.
These cities have a unique conundrum of glimmering skylines, gleaming tech parks co-existing with overflowing garbage dumps and uncollected waste lying just a few lanes away.
While several towns have made significant strides in waste collection and public hygiene, big cities have continued to struggle with garbage disposal, clogged drains and inadequate sanitation facilities. Smaller towns have managed to outperform India’s megacities, underlining the fact that an ample amount of resources at someone’s disposal does not always guarantee cleanliness.
Swachh Survekshan Report 2025: Top 10 Unclean Cities Of India
Rank | City | Score |
1 | Madurai | 4,823 |
2 | Ludhiana | 5,272 |
3 | Chennai | 6,822 |
4 | Ranchi | 6,835 |
5 | Bengaluru | 6,842 |
6 | Dhanbad | 7,196 |
7 | Faridabad | 7,329 |
8 | Greater Mumbai | 7,419 |
9 | Srinagar | 7,488 |
10 | Delhi | 7,920 |
Amongst all the cities, Bengaluru seems to manage to draw attention for all the wrong reasons. A city hailed as the ‘Silicon Valley’ of the country has been ranked as the fifth dirtiest urban centre in India. It also highlights how unchecked growth and lax civic discipline have taken a toll on the cleanliness of the city.
Amid struggles by India’s largest metros, mid-sized cities are stealing the spotlight with remarkable cleanliness improvements. Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai continue to top the charts in the “Super Swachh League,” while Vijayawada joins the ranks for the first time.