Shillong: President Droupadi Murmu awarded Williamnagar the title of State First Swachh City during a ceremony at Vigyan Bhawan this past Wednesday. The city stands among 30 urban centers recognized for excellence in sanitation during the 10th edition of the Swachh Survekshan awards.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs oversaw the assessment of 4,751 cities. Evaluators tracked performance using 43 specific indicators across 10 categories, ranging from waste segregation to the welfare of sanitation workers. More than 3,000 trained assessors used GPS-enabled tools to verify results, ensuring the process remained transparent and digital.
President Murmu spoke at the event. She noted that "cleanliness requires the active participation of all stakeholders and cannot be achieved by any single institution alone." Her message focused on the need for behavioral shifts and consistent public engagement.
Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal reported significant national gains since 2014. Waste processing grew from 16 per cent to 80 per cent, while door-to-door collection now covers over 96 per cent of urban areas. The government also linked 70 mentor cities with 191 mentee cities through the new Swachh Shehar Jodi initiative.
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