Bhubaneswar has secured the fifth position nationally in the Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 and emerged as Odisha’s top-ranked city, receiving the State First Swachh City of Odisha award. The recognition places the state capital among India’s leading cities in the latest cleanliness and sanitation assessment.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the award at a ceremony attended by officials and dignitaries. Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation Commissioner Chanchal Rana and Mayor Sulochana Das received the honour on behalf of the city.
The award recognises the work of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, sanitation workers and residents in maintaining cleanliness and improving sanitation standards across the city, according to the report. It also reflects the role of civic administration and public participation in the delivery of everyday municipal services.
Officials attributed the city’s performance to coordination between the civic body and residents. The report said public participation and cooperation with the municipal administration had contributed to Bhubaneswar’s ranking. However, the supplied material does not provide the city’s score, the detailed criteria used for the assessment, or the names and scores of the four cities ranked above it nationally.
For Bhubaneswar, the result provides a formal benchmark for the municipal corporation’s sanitation work. Cleanliness rankings typically bring together several aspects of urban service delivery, but the report does not specify how the 2025–26 assessment evaluated waste collection, processing, public toilets, wastewater management, cleanliness inspections or citizen feedback. Those details will be necessary to understand which parts of the city’s sanitation system drove the result.
The recognition also places attention on the people responsible for maintaining public spaces and handling sanitation services. The report specifically acknowledged sanitation workers alongside the municipal corporation and residents. Their work is central to keeping roads, neighbourhoods and public areas clean, even though the supplied account does not provide details about staffing, working conditions, service coverage or the operational changes introduced during the assessment period.
Bhubaneswar’s fifth-place national ranking and first-place position within Odisha give the city a stronger standing in the countrywide cleanliness survey. The result also creates a reference point for future municipal performance, particularly as the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation continues its sanitation initiatives and seeks greater public participation.
The civic body is expected to continue strengthening sanitation measures and encouraging residents to participate in cleanliness efforts. The report does not specify a separate implementation deadline or identify the next formal milestone for the corporation’s sanitation programme.
