Odisha has been recognised nationally at the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025-26, the cleanliness assessment conducted under the central government's sanitation programme. The state was cited among the top performers in the urban cleanliness rankings, and its performance drew formal recognition at the national level.
The state's placement among winners came in urban sanitation categories. Individual cities and municipalities were credited for gains in waste management, which the awards framework assesses as part of the wider urban cleanliness evaluation. The Swachh Survekshan survey is run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and the honours reflect the work of the Odisha state government together with its urban local bodies, which received credit for the outcomes.
Reports available on the awards do not specify the exact number of awards Odisha won, the full list of award categories, or the names of every winning city and municipality. Specific ranking positions and scores for the state have also not been reported, and no details of prize money or incentive amounts attached to the honours are available in the material reviewed.
The Swachh Survekshan exercise has, over successive editions, assessed urban local bodies on parameters that include solid waste management, sanitation infrastructure and citizen feedback. Recognition at the national awards is typically presented as a measure of how far a state's municipal bodies have translated sanitation policy into day-to-day services for residents. Further detail on the evidence behind Odisha's rankings had not been published at the time of reporting.
Source: prameyanews.com
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