Mira-Bhayandar slips in Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 after topping category last year

Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation has slipped in the results of Swachh Survekshan 2025-26. The city had secured the first rank in the country last year but could not retain that position this time. Mira-Bhayandar is not among the top three cities either.

To improve cleanliness, the civic administration has appointed an international consultancy, KPMG. The firm is paid around Rs 15 lakh a month, which takes the annual expenditure to nearly Rs 1.80 crore. It is being used to plan cleanliness work, meet the survey's norms and improve the city's performance. Despite this, the city did not get the position it expected this time. Questions are therefore being raised about the actual benefit of this spending, and the assessment of the consultancy's work and the administration's planning are also being questioned.

Swachh Survekshan is conducted every year across the country's cities by the Centre under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Cities are assessed on parameters such as cleanliness, solid waste management, waste segregation, public toilets, sewerage and citizen participation. Mira-Bhayandar has performed well before. In 2023 it ranked third in the country. In 2024-25 it ranked first in the country in the category of cities with a population of 3 lakh to 10 lakh.

In the results announced on November 11, Navi Mumbai ranked first among the country's clean cities, Surat second and Vijayawada third. In the 3 lakh to 10 lakh population category, Ujjain came first and Chandigarh second. Mira-Bhayandar, first last year, did not achieve the success it expected this time.

This is the silver jubilee year of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation, and the administration is holding several special events to mark it. Municipal elections were held in February and new elected representatives have come to power. Citizens had therefore hoped for a major improvement in cleanliness along with development. But with the ranking falling in the silver jubilee year itself, dissatisfaction is being expressed over the administration's functioning.

Citizens have repeatedly complained about garbage, filth and waste management problems in many parts of the city. It is therefore being said that the focus should be on keeping the city clean throughout the year, instead of running special cleanliness drives only during the survey. A review of the heavy spending on the consultancy, the cleanliness campaigns being run and the actual condition of the city is also being called for. The administration and the new elected representatives will have to make a special effort to come first again in the next Swachh Survekshan.

On the ranking, Additional Commissioner Sachin Bangar said, "The results of the Swachh Survekshan competition have been announced. The first rank has been announced this time. But the announcement of the ranks beyond that is awaited. Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation could not get the first rank this time." Bangar is an additional commissioner of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation.