Hyderabad Climbs to 6th Cleanest City in India in 2025 Rankings
Hyderabad just jumped to 6th among India’s cleanest cities. How did it leap from 10th to 7-star status in just two years?
Admin
A quiet sense of pride is spreading across Hyderabad, not splashed across billboards or paraded in speeches, but found in spotless roads, the vanishing of garbage heaps, and the quiet revival of long-neglected lakes.
As of July 2025, Hyderabad stands as the 6th cleanest city in India among metros with over a million people. For a city better known for its biryani and biotech, this isn’t just a feather in the cap. It’s proof of a transformation that is steady, intentional, and finally breaking the surface.
Transformation Behind Hyderabad’s 7-Star Cleanliness Rating
Two years ago, Hyderabad was juggling a modest 2-star rating. In 2023, it moved up to three. And now, in a remarkable jump, it has reached the 7-star club, bagging both the Water+ certification and Garbage-Free City title. What changed? Infrastructure, yes. But more than that, intent.
Behind the scenes, GHMC rolled out waste-to-energy plants, built sewage treatment systems, and even constructed artificial ponds so that religious rituals wouldn’t dirty natural lakes. The effort was relentless. Dry waste, wet waste, and construction debris were all sorted, assigned proper disposal systems, and managed with care.
Missing Link in Hyderabad’s Cleanliness Drive
The one chink in the armor? Source segregation. Households aren’t yet fully sorting their waste. That one habit of separating dry from wet is where the system stumbles. No machine or plant can fix what isn’t sorted at source. This is where Hyderabad needs its people to step up. The city’s hardware is ready. What it needs now is behavioral software, a culture of responsibility and a sense of shared ownership over public spaces.
Hyderabad Focuses on Quality of Life Through Cleanliness
This isn’t just about rankings. It’s about walkways without stench. Parks where kids can run barefoot. Lakes that no longer carry the burden of festivals. It’s about a city learning to breathe easier, and cleaner. Even Secunderabad Cantonment, often overshadowed by its big sister, earned praise this year for its own steady sanitation drive.
Next Steps in Hyderabad’s Cleanliness Mission
To climb higher, Hyderabad will need more than infrastructure upgrades. It’ll take consistent citizen involvement, smarter outreach, and firm action against negligence.
But right now, this progress is worth acknowledging. The city is stepping up, taking responsibility, and moving toward the cleaner future it deserves.
What is Swachh Survekshan?
Swachh Survekshan is India’s largest urban cleanliness survey, evaluating how cities manage solid waste, public hygiene, sanitation, and citizen engagement. It is conducted annually under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).
What key factors helped Hyderabad improve its ranking?
Key factors behind Hyderabad’s improved ranking include effective door-to-door waste collection, dumpsite cleanup, cleaner water bodies, waste-to-energy initiatives, and proper debris recycling with artificial immersion ponds.
How did Hyderabad’s rank improve in recent years?
Hyderabad’s rank steadily improved from 10th in 2022–23 to 9th in 2023–24 and now 6th in 2024–25, reflecting consistent progress in waste management and overall cleanliness.
What are Water+ and Garbage-Free City certifications?
Water+ and Garbage-Free City are national certifications recognizing cities for effective wastewater treatment and solid waste management. Hyderabad earned both, achieving a 7-star rating, a sharp rise from 2 stars in 2022.
