Shillong has been recognised as a ‘Promising Swachh Shehar of State/UT’ at the prestigious Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 Awards ceremony, marking a significant achievement for the northeastern city’s sanitation and waste management efforts. President Droupadi Murmu conferred the award at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, during a ceremony that honoured 43 cities and organisations nationwide for their contributions to urban cleanliness.
Shillong was among 34 cities across different states and union territories selected for the ‘Promising Swachh Shehar’ distinction, based on their demonstrated improvements in sanitation, waste management, and citizen participation. The selection follows the ‘One City, One Award’ principle, recognising top-performing cities from each state.
The award ceremony, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, was attended by Union Minister Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu, along with representatives from winning cities across the country. This year’s Swachh Survekshan introduced a streamlined framework specifically designed to help smaller cities compete effectively with larger urban centres. The simplified assessment criteria created what officials described as a “level playing ground” for cities like Shillong to showcase their cleanliness initiatives.