Haryana tops North in rural cleanliness survey

Haryana has secured the top position among all North Indian states in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2025 rankings released by the Union ministry of jal shakti

Haryana has secured the top position among all North Indian states in the Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) 2025 rankings released by the Union ministry of jal shakti. Punjab finished second, followed by Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Rohtak deputy commissioner Sachin Gupta said that the recognition was the result of sustained efforts by the administration in scientific solid and liquid waste management, door-to-door waste collection and source segregation, composting and plastic waste management, soak-pit systems and sanitation infrastructure.

Rohtak was declared as the best-performing district in the region. Punjab’s Malerkotla ranked second, while Una district of Himachal Pradesh was placed third.

Rohtak deputy commissioner Sachin Gupta said that the recognition was the result of sustained efforts by the administration in scientific solid and liquid waste management, door-to-door waste collection and source segregation, composting and plastic waste management, soak-pit systems and sanitation infrastructure.

“Behind this success are the tireless efforts of gram panchayats, sanitation workers, frontline officials, self-help groups, school students and every citizen, working together under the leadership of the Zila Parishad,” Gupta said.

The SSG was launched by the department of drinking water and sanitation, under the ministry of jal shakti, in 2018 to assess on-ground sanitation conditions and foster a spirit of healthy competition among the states and districts.

Direct observation formed the core of the assessment, which involved evaluating rural households, public places and villages.

At the household level, assessors evaluated access to safely managed toilets, hygiene practices, waste segregation and disposal and greywater management, while at the village level, assessments focused on arrangements for faecal sludge management, solid waste disposal and household and community-level greywater infrastructure. SSG 2025 was conducted by an independent third-party agency, the Academy of Management Studies.