Indore-Depalpur Cleanliness Model Wins National Recognition, President Droupadi Murmu Honours Twin Cities For Securing Second Place

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore and Depalpur secured second place nationally under the Swachh City Pair initiative for transforming Depalpur’s sanitation system through Indore’s successful cleanliness model. President Droupadi Murmu honoured both cities at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday. The recognition came after Depalpur, once among Madhya Pradesh’s lowest-ranked towns in cleanliness, improved remarkably within a year under the Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) mentorship.

Depalpur, with a population of approximately 20,000, previously ranked 378th among 380 cities in Madhya Pradesh. It subsequently stood 1,710th among 2,030 cities nationwide. Under the initiative launched on September 30, 2025, Indore became Depalpur’s mentor city, sharing sanitation technology, resources and administrative expertise.

IMC initially targeted improvements within 100 days. IMC introduced door-to-door garbage collection across all 15 wards using eight vehicles, including four provided through Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. Additionally, 14,000 dustbins were distributed to encourage household waste segregation.

A Material Recovery Facility was established for ₹40 lakh to process dry waste, while a composting unit costing ₹10 lakh was developed for wet waste management.

Another major achievement involved scientifically disposing of 1,250 metric tonnes of legacy waste accumulated over five years at the Banediya Road trenching ground. The operation freed 2.2 acres, where approximately 300 saplings were planted to develop a green forest.

To strengthen public participation, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle centres were established across all wards. A dedicated service centre was created for 66 sanitation workers, while a 500-point ranking system encouraged competition among wards.

Public spaces were beautified, Surajkund stepwell was restored, and approximately 300 stray cattle were shifted to Hatod Goshala.

The successful model has attracted attention beyond Madhya Pradesh, with Rajasthan officials visiting Depalpur to study its sanitation transformation. Nearby towns, including Mhow, may adopt similar practices.