Karnal has been selected for the prestigious President’s Award after securing a place among India’s top three cleanest cities under the Swachh Survekshan. Last year as well, the city received the President’s Award for securing the third position in the country.
According to the authorities, the official announcement of the ranking will be made on November 11 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu will present the award. The authorities have received an invitation from the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for the prestigious award, which, according to officials, is given only to the top three cleanest cities.
As per official data, Karnal’s ranking has improved over the past two consecutive years, while the city had earlier witnessed a decline. In Swachh Survekshan 2023, it dropped to the 115th rank among cities with a population of over one lakh, down 30 places from its 85th position in 2022 (among 4,354 cities in the 1–10 lakh population category). In 2021, its ranking was 86th, 17th in 2020, 24th in 2019, 41st in 2018 and 65th in 2017.
Congratulating the sanitation wing of the Karnal Municipal Corporation (KMC) and the citizens, Mayor Renu Bala Gupta said, “It is a proud moment for the city as it has been selected for a prestigious award for cleanliness. I congratulate the entire sanitation team, Safai Mitras and all citizens for their efforts in achieving this goal.”
KMC Commissioner Saloni Sharma described the achievement as a historic moment. “This is a historic moment for Karnal. The city has improved its ranking with the wholehearted cooperation of local residents. This award is recognition of the efforts being made by our sanitation team, as well as officials who monitor cleanliness round the clock, and, of course, the citizens of the city and Residents Welfare Associations, who have contributed a lot to it,” she said.
Additional Municipal Commissioner (AMC) Ashok Kumar also praised the sanitation workers and their team spirit. “I congratulate the sanitation staff and Safai Mitras for their dedicated hard work during Swachh Survekshan 2025. I joined KMC in February 2024, and at that time, its ranking was 115th in the country. Now, we are among the top three cities in the country, which is a major achievement,” he said.
Mayor Gupta specially thanked Union Minister Manohar Lal on the occasion, saying that his guidance, visionary thinking and continuous support had always played a vital role in giving a new direction to Karnal’s development and securing national recognition for the city.
She also expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Cabinet Minister Vipul Goel, saying that the positive cooperation and development-oriented policies of the Central and State governments were opening new opportunities for cities to progress.
“During my tenure, several important initiatives were undertaken to make Karnal a clean, beautiful, well-planned and modern city. Special focus was laid on strengthening the sanitation system, improving solid waste management, beautifying public spaces, developing green areas, expanding roads and basic infrastructure, and encouraging greater citizen participation,” she added.
