Archive · 6 Jan 2026
Indore's Cleanliness Ranking Questioned After Water Tragedy
Indore, a city in India, has been named the cleanest city in the country for seven years in a row.
In 2024, a new category called the Super Swachh League was created for cities like Indore that always win.
In this new category, Indore, along with Surat and Navi Mumbai, was again named the cleanest.
However, last week, 10-11 people died, and many others got sick after drinking water that was mixed with dirty sewage.
This made people question how Indore could be the cleanest city if such a bad thing happened.
Some people say that the rankings might not show the whole picture and suggested that the way cities are ranked should be improved to include more things like water quality.
Others believe that the incident was an isolated event and should not overshadow the city's overall achievements.
The media's role in reporting such incidents is also a topic of debate, with critics accusing them of not highlighting the realities on the ground.
Indore has been ranked the cleanest city in India for seven consecutive years (2017-2023) in the Swachh Survekshan.
In 2024-2025, Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai were named the best in the new Super Swachh League category.
A water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura neighborhood resulted in 10-11 deaths and over 200-1,400 hospitalizations.
The incident has raised questions about Indore's sanitation infrastructure and the comprehensiveness of the Swachh Survekshan rankings.
Critics argue that the rankings focus too much on aesthetics and not enough on essential services like safe drinking water and sanitation, while supporters contend that the incident was an isolated event.
- Who
- Indore Municipal Corporation, residents of Bhagirathpura, Janaagraha (non-profit organization), readers and experts from various cities
- What
- Water contamination incident in Indore, questioning the city's cleanliness rankings and the effectiveness of the Swachh Survekshan
- When
- Contamination incident occurred last week; Indore has been a top performer in Swachh Survekshan since 2017
- Where
- Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Why
- Sewage contamination in the water supply led to deaths and hospitalizations, raising questions about the city's sanitation infrastructure and the comprehensiveness of the Swachh Survekshan rankings
Critics of Indore's Rankings
Supporters of Indore's Rankings
Effectiveness of Cleanliness Rankings
Critics of Indore's Rankings
Critics argue that Indore's high rankings do not reflect ground realities, as evidenced by the water contamination incident. They believe the rankings focus too much on aesthetics and not enough on essential services like safe drinking water and sanitation.
Supporters of Indore's Rankings
Supporters contend that Indore's consistent top rankings are a testament to its cleanliness efforts. They argue that the water contamination incident was an isolated event and should not overshadow the city's overall achievements in cleanliness.
Media's Role in Reporting
Critics of Indore's Rankings
Critics accuse the media of failing to act as a watchdog and instead becoming a mouthpiece for the ruling party. They believe the media should highlight the realities on the ground rather than just praising the city's cleanliness.
Supporters of Indore's Rankings
Supporters argue that the media has a responsibility to report on both the positive aspects and the challenges faced by the city. They believe that the media's role is to provide a balanced view, not just focus on the negatives.
- Indore's Ranking
- Top spot in Swachh Survekshan for seven consecutive years (2017-2023)
- Super Swachh League
- Indore, Surat, and Navi Mumbai emerged as the best in 2024-2025
- Contamination Incident
- 10-11 deaths and over 200-1,400 hospitalizations due to sewage-contaminated water in Bhagirathpura
- Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0
- Indore signed an MoU with Depalpur to guide cleanliness improvements in 2025
- Swachh Survekshan 2017
- Indore scored 875/900 in municipal documentation, 435 in independent observation, and 496 in citizen feedback
- Swachh Survekshan 2023
- Indore achieved 'Water+' certification, indicating no untreated wastewater discharge
- Pey Jal Survekshan
- Drinking water survey conducted in 2023, findings not publicly released
- Janaagraha's Suggestion
- Need for holistic and localized performance measurement and data transparency
Sources
Before water contamination deaths, journey to top: How Indore swept Swachh rankings year after year
Mumbai’s garbage raises a stink
Water woes: Editorial on the water contamination deaths in Indore - Telegraph India
Indore water contamination tragedy exposes urban decay
Indore's water crisis, a system driven calamity
What’s Behind Indore’s Water Crisis? ‘Waterman of India’ Speaks on Dirty Water in India’s Cleanest City
Indore water contamination: 38 new diarrhoea cases detected, 110 in hospital; death toll 7
