Delhis Swachh Survekshan 2025 NDMC Shines While Rest Of City Struggles
Delhi’s latest Swachh Survekshan results paint a stark picture of cleanliness disparities across the national capital in 2025. While the New Delhi Municipal Council NDMC covering Lutyens Delhi has once again been lauded among the cleanest urban areas nationwide, the rest of the city has fared considerably worse. This outcome highlights a significant divide in sanitation performance across the capital’s diverse municipal jurisdictions, sparking renewed discussions on urban governance and civic participation within the city.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi MCD which oversees the majority of the citys area and population ranked a dismal thirty first out of forty four urban local bodies in the million plus population category. Compounding this, the Delhi Cantonment Board DCB saw a sharp decline slipping to thirtieth place out of fifty eight cantonment boards a notable drop from its seventh position last year. Experts emphasize that the NDMCs consistent high ranking is attributed to its smaller more manageable jurisdiction higher budget allocation per capita and a proactive administrative approach in contrast to the wider citys challenges of unplanned urbanization and weak policy enforcement.
The ninth edition of the Swachh Survekshan evaluated cities on a new scale of twelve thousand five hundred points focusing on visible cleanliness waste segregation sanitation and wastewater management. The MCDs poor performance stems partly from its underwhelming fifty six percent score in dumpsite remediation with major landfill projects missing deadlines. Furthermore the MCD scored poorly in waste segregation at fifty six percent and waste processing at fifty one percent indicating a significant lack of on ground implementation. Delhi’s water body cleanliness also received a dismal score of only twenty seven percent for the MCD.
Despite the NDMC’s success, independent experts and resident groups criticize a collective failure across the larger city. They point to policies being more on paper than in practice, with a focus on incineration rather than decentralized waste management. This year’s survey highlights the critical need for systemic reforms and more effective civic participation to uplift sanitation standards city wide.
