62 Cities Improve Garbage-Free City Star Rating; Raipur Achieves Coveted Seven-Star Status. Number of Cities with Single, Three, and Five Star Rating Rises from 71 to 114. Three Municipal Corporations Advance from ODF++ to Water Plus Category; 163 ULBs Attain ODF++ Status
RAIPUR (India CSR): Chhattisgarh has once again made a powerful mark in the national cleanliness rankings under the Swachh Survekshan 2024–25 conducted by the Government of India. Demonstrating remarkable performance, 115 out of 169 participating urban local bodies (ULBs) from the state have improved their ranks in the latest assessment. Among the 4,566 cities surveyed nationwide, 25 cities from Chhattisgarh secured a place in the top 100 — a significant leap from the previous year’s 16 cities.
A total of 62 ULBs in the state have improved their Garbage-Free City Star Ratings, while the number of cities achieving single, three, and five-star status has jumped from 71 to 114. Capital city Raipur has upgraded from a five-star to a prestigious seven-star rating in the Garbage-Free City category. Additionally, Raipur has also been certified as a Water Plus city for its holistic cleanliness initiatives.
This year, three major municipal corporations — Bilaspur, Korba, and Bhilai Nagar — have moved from ODF++ to the Water Plus category. A total of 163 urban local bodies in the state have achieved ODF++ status, including municipalities like Kirandul and Bhatapara, and the municipal council of Kunra, which were earlier only in the ODF category. Sitapur Municipal Council too has progressed from ODF Plus to ODF Plus Plus.
Over the past 18 months, 62 ULBs have improved their Star Ratings in the Garbage-Free City category through consistent efforts. Notably, Bilaspur and Ambikapur have elevated their three-star ratings to five-star, while Bhilai Nagar, Jagdalpur Municipal Corporation, Jamul Municipality, and Gharghoda Municipal Council, which earlier had single-star status in 2023-24, have now achieved three-star ratings. Cities like Dhamtari, Shivrinarayan, and Rajpur — which had no star rating in the previous survey — have directly entered the three-star category. Additionally, 52 ULBs that were previously rated ‘No Star’ have now earned single-star status owing to focused efforts in sanitation and beautification.
Table 1: Key Performance Improvements
| Category | Previous Year | 2024–25 | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total ULBs Participated | — | 169 | — |
| ULBs Improved Their Rankings | — | 115 | Significant Progress |
| Cities in Top 100 (National) | 16 | 25 | +9 Cities |
| Cities with Star Rating (GFC) | 71 | 114 | +43 Cities |
| ULBs Improved Garbage-Free City Star Ratings | — | 62 | In Last 18 Months |
| ULBs Achieving ODF++ Status | — | 163 | Major Expansion |
Several cities in Chhattisgarh have seen major improvements in their national rankings. Simga, which ranked 649 in 2023-24, has climbed to 95th place this year. Similarly, Jashpur has improved from 637 to 91, Rajpur from 630 to 63, and Gharghoda from 616 to 71. Bhilai-Charoda jumped from 587 to 68, Dornapal from 557 to 81, Dantewada from 552 to 70, Jagdalpur from 461 to 55, Mungeli from 447 to 86, Kawardha from 430 to 77, Kunkuri from 426 to 84, Durg from 314 to 80, Rajnandgaon from 268 to 46, Bhilai Nagar from 267 to an impressive 22. Meanwhile, Chhura rose from 230 to 76, Pratappur from 173 to 62, Balrampur from 65 to 53, and Raipur advanced from 12th rank to 4th place nationally.
Table 2: City-Level Milestone Achievements
| City | Improvement |
|---|---|
| Raipur | Upgraded from 5-star to 7-star GFC rating; Certified as Water Plus |
| Bilaspur | ODF++ to Water Plus; 3-star to 5-star GFC rating |
| Ambikapur | 3-star to 5-star GFC rating |
| Bhilai Nagar | ODF++ to Water Plus; 1-star to 3-star GFC rating; Now ranks 22nd |
| Jagdalpur | 1-star to 3-star GFC; National rank improved to 55 |
| Gharghoda | 1-star to 3-star GFC; National rank improved to 71 |
| Dhamtari, Rajpur | From No Star to 3-star GFC rating |
| 52 ULBs | From No Star to Single-Star rating |
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described the achievements of Chhattisgarh’s cities as the result of a collective effort by local bodies and citizens. He said that the urban local governments, the state government, and the central government are all working together with innovative approaches to make cities cleaner and more beautiful. He expressed confidence that rankings of Chhattisgarh’s cities will continue to improve and that this national success will further motivate all ULBs.
Table 3: Cities with Notable Rank Improvements
| City | 2023–24 Rank | 2024–25 Rank | Rank Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raipur | 12 | 4 | ↑ 8 |
| Bhilai Nagar | 267 | 22 | ↑ 245 |
| Rajnandgaon | 268 | 46 | ↑ 222 |
| Jagdalpur | 461 | 55 | ↑ 406 |
| Rajpur | 630 | 63 | ↑ 567 |
| Jashpur | 637 | 91 | ↑ 546 |
| Simga | 649 | 95 | ↑ 554 |
| Gharghoda | 616 | 71 | ↑ 545 |
| Bhilai-Charoda | 587 | 68 | ↑ 519 |
| Dornapal | 557 | 81 | ↑ 476 |
| Dantewada | 552 | 70 | ↑ 482 |
| Mungeli | 447 | 86 | ↑ 361 |
| Kawardha | 430 | 77 | ↑ 353 |
| Kunkuri | 426 | 84 | ↑ 342 |
| Durg | 314 | 80 | ↑ 234 |
| Chhura | 230 | 76 | ↑ 154 |
| Pratappur | 173 | 62 | ↑ 111 |
| Balrampur | 65 | 53 | ↑ 12 |
Deputy Chief Minister and Minister of Urban Administration & Development Arun Sao appreciated the exceptional performance of ULBs in the survey. He said that for the financial year 2024–25, the state government had allocated Rs. 7,400 crore for urban development and sanitation, the positive results of which are now visible. He shared that the department had directed all municipal commissioners, as well as chief municipal officers of councils and panchayats, to carry out daily morning inspection rounds to supervise cleanliness activities. Shri Sao emphasized that these two initiatives played a key role in achieving these milestones.
(India CSR)
