Bhopal / Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A whopping ₹100 crore expenditure on cleanliness drives and waste management, yet Bhopal failed to earn an award or significant ranking in Swachh Survekshan 2025-26! The capital's disappointing result has raised questions on Bhopal Municipal Corporation's (BMC) performance. It even prompted comparisons between the functioning of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and BMC, especially after the Indore-Depalpur pair managed to maintain its position in the Swachh City Pair category.
Experts highlighted several sanitation practices implemented in Indore and Depalpur that were reportedly lacking in Bhopal, which may have contributed to the capital city's poor performance.
The setback also brought attention to the massive backlog of 6.5 lakh tonnes of legacy waste at the Adampur landfill, posing a major challenge to Bhopal's sanitation performance.
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Key Sanitation Practices That Helped Indore-Depalpur
100% Door-to-Door Waste Collection: The authorities implemented 100% door-to-door waste collection across all 15 wards of Depalpur.
Removal of Garbage Bins and Distribution of Dustbins: The municipal team removed all open garbage bins from Depalpur and distributed more than 15,000 dustbins to residents.
Four-Bin Waste Segregation: A strict four-bin waste segregation system was implemented to ensure proper separation of different types of waste, like dry, wet, sanitary and special (hazardous) waste.
Disposal of Legacy Waste: Approximately 1,250 tonnes of legacy waste accumulated over the years in Depalpur was cleared through bioremediatiom-- a process where microorganisims help break down toxins from soil, water and air.
Cleaning of Back Lanes and Roads: Special cleanliness drives were carried out in the back lanes of residential areas, while efforts were made to prevent garbage dumping in open spaces.
Heritage Conservation: Along with sanitation improvements, the historic Surajkund Stepwell was renovated and beautified.
Monitoring and Mentorship: Under the guidance of IMC, sanitation workers' practices, waste management systems and monitoring mechanisms were strengthened.
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Adampur Landfill Remains Major Hurdle
The legacy waste issue at Adampur is pending before the Supreme Court. Delays in the tender process stalled the waste clearance project by more than 10 days.
Saurashtra Enviro Projects has processed 2.18 lakh tonnes of waste under a ₹53 crore contract, with the remaining waste to be cleared by March 31, 2027. The firm also holds a ₹48 crore contract to process nearly 800 tonnes of fresh waste daily.
BMC's reported annual cleanliness expenditure includes more than ₹50 crore spent on survey-related activities.
Despite ranking second in 2017, 2018 and 2024, Bhopal missed out on awards this year. Officials said its Water Plus and Garbage Free City certifications remain valid.
The comparison highlighted the need for BMC to strengthen its waste management system, improve monitoring and ensure effective implementation of cleanliness initiatives.
Experts stressed that better planning, public participation and accountability in the use of funds could help Bhopal improve its sanitation standards and perform better in future Swachh Survekshan rankings.
With inputs from Staff Reporter
