Kashipur’s 5-year ‘Swachh Survekshan Journey’
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 12 Nov: Dehradun based Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation has released a fact sheet, prepared by Anoop Nautiyal and Praveen Upreti, examining Kashipur’s five-year journey in the Swachh Survekshan rankings. The central message is that Kashipur’s emergence as Uttarakhand’s First Swachh City in the 2025–26 awards is a significant turnaround, and its experience offers valuable lessons for other urban local bodies across the state.The Swachh Survekshan 2025–26 awards were announced on November 11 and presented by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu. The fact sheet places Kashipur’s latest recognition in the context of its earlier performance. In 2021, the city ranked 339 out of 369 cities in the 1–10 lakh population category, placing last among six Uttarakhand cities assessed in that category. In 2022, it ranked 304 out of 382 nationally and seventh among eight Uttarakhand cities. In 2023, it slipped to 348 out of 446 nationally, again ranking seventh among eight state cities. In 2024–25, it stood at 372 out of 820 cities in the 50,000–3 lakh population category, placing eighth among 15 Uttarakhand cities. It has now been recognised as the First Swachh City of Uttarakhand in 2025–26.Commenting on the significance of the achievement, Anoop Nautiyal said, “Kashipur’s recognition should not be seen merely as an award. What makes it important is the journey from consistently low rankings to becoming the state’s leading Swachh City. Other urban local bodies must study what changed, how the municipal systems improved and which practices can be replicated.”The fact sheet highlights several reported interventions. In December 2024, GPS-based monitoring of waste collection vehicles was introduced across Kashipur’s 40 wards, supported by a dedicated control room. With the city reportedly generating around 60 tonnes of waste daily, real-time tracking of vehicles and designated routes can make collection more measurable and accountable. Media reports also point to plans for a waste-processing facility involving an investment of approximately Rs 14.54 crore, intended to serve Kashipur, Jaspur and Mahuadabra. In October 2026, a 4-Bin Pathshala initiative in Ward 20 sought to promote segregation of wet, dry, domestic hazardous and sanitary waste.Anoop Nautiyal added, “The larger lesson is that cleanliness cannot be achieved through periodic campaigns alone. It requires dependable door-to-door collection, GPS-enabled monitoring, scientific waste processing, household-level segregation and sustained citizen participation. Kashipur’s experience offers a useful starting point for cities such as Dehradun, Haridwar, Haldwani, Roorkee and Rishikesh.”The Foundation congratulated Kashipur’s citizens, municipal authorities, elected representatives and sanitation workers for the achievement.However, he highlighted that Dehradun’s absence from the awards is particularly jarring. The state capital and its largest city has consistently failed to make a mark in Swachh Survekshan recognition within Uttarakhand, let alone nationally. While the detailed overall results are awaited, Dehradun and its authorities, particularly the Nagar Nigam, must undertake a searching review of the city’s performance and identify what needs to change. Kashipur’s turnaround demonstrates that improvement is possible. Dehradun must seriously examine why it continues to fall short.
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