Karnal has done it again. The city has won the President’s Award in the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26, remaining Haryana’s cleanest city for the second consecutive year. For the people of Karnal, this is not just a trophy — it is recognition of cleaner streets, better waste collection and the daily work of thousands of sanitation workers.
President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Karnal has become the first municipal corporation in Haryana to receive the President’s Award twice in succession.
Who won the top honours this year?
The 10th edition of the Swachh Survekshan covered 4,751 cities across the country. Navi Mumbai emerged as India’s cleanest city in the Super Swachh League, followed by Surat and Vijayawada. In the million-plus population category, Greater Visakhapatnam took the first position, followed by Jabalpur and Lucknow.
| Category | First | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Super Swachh League | Navi Mumbai | Surat | Vijayawada |
| Million-plus population | Greater Visakhapatnam | Jabalpur | Lucknow |
| Clean Coastal Town | Puri | Alappuzha | Ratnagiri |
| Clean Himalayan City | Rudrapur | Jammu | — |
| Best Riverfront Town | Rewa | Bilaspur | Varanasi |
| Mentor City | Ahmedabad | Indore | Tirupati |
Karnal received the President’s Award among the top-performing cities. Raipur, Bilaspur and Bilha from Chhattisgarh were also recognised for stellar urban sanitation standards.
How did Karnal reach the top?
Karnal’s rise has been steady, not sudden. In Swachh Survekshan 2023, the city had slipped to the 115th rank among cities with a population of over one lakh. From there it climbed continuously and finished among the top three in the country last year.
Last year, Karnal secured the third position in the country in the ‘Swachh Shehar’ category for cities with a population of 50,000 to 3 lakh, scoring 11,067 out of 12,500 marks. The city also earned a 3-star garbage-free rating and ‘Water Plus’ status. Mayor Renu Bala Gupta credited the achievement to the hard work of sanitation workers and the cooperation of residents.
Karnal’s exact rank and category for 2025-26 have not been officially announced yet — officials have said the national ranking will be announced later. This information has not been officially declared yet, and this post will be updated when it is.
Who received the award for Karnal?
Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel, Karnal Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Kumar Meena and Municipal Commissioner Saloni Sharma received the award from President Murmu. Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal and Minister of State Tokhan Sahu were present at the ceremony.
Karnal is now guiding five smaller towns
Karnal’s work goes beyond its own boundaries. Under the ‘Swachh Shehar Jodi’ initiative, Karnal is mentoring five smaller urban bodies — Siwan, Ismailabad, Narnaund, Kalanwali and Rajound — sharing what it has learnt about waste management and cleanliness. The mentorship programme pairs 70 mentor cities with 191 mentee cities across 33 States and Union Territories.
A decade of the cleanliness survey
Swachh Survekshan began in 2016 with just 73 urban local bodies. In its 10th edition, 4,751 cities took part, assessed across 43 indicators in 10 domains including waste segregation, collection and transport, visible cleanliness, sanitation access and citizen feedback. This year’s theme was ‘Swachhata Ki Nayi Pehel — Badhayein Haath, Karein Safai Saath’, and feedback from 2.70 crore citizens was recorded.
What does this mean for Haryana?
Karnal is the only Haryana city named among the national winners this time. Last year, Sonepat had received a ministerial ‘Star’ award and Gurugram had climbed from 140th to 41st position. Winning the President’s Award for the second straight year shows that Karnal’s improvement is the result of sustained effort — source segregation, door-to-door collection and citizen participation — and other Haryana cities can learn from its example.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which award did Karnal win?
The President’s Award in the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 — for the second consecutive year.
Who received the award on behalf of Karnal?
Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Vipul Goel, Mayor Renu Bala Gupta, ACS Ashok Kumar Meena and Municipal Commissioner Saloni Sharma received it from President Droupadi Murmu.
What was Karnal’s rank last year?
Last year Karnal finished third in the country in the 50,000–3 lakh population category, scoring 11,067 out of 12,500 marks.
What is Karnal’s exact rank in 2025-26?
The exact national rank and category for 2025-26 have not been officially announced yet. Officials have said the ranking will be announced later.
Which city was named India’s cleanest this year?
Navi Mumbai topped the Super Swachh League, followed by Surat and Vijayawada.
Related Reading
- Karnal’s award in Hindi (Hindi twin of this story): https://www.viksitharyana.com/swachh-survekshan-awards-2025-26-winners-karnal/
- Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025-26 preview: https://www.viksitharyana.com/swachh-survekshan-awards-2025-26-11-november-2026/
- Central Government NDRI Scholarship Karnal: https://www.viksitharyana.com/english/central-government-ndri-scholarship-msc-phd-haryana/
Sources: UNI India — https://www.uniindia.com/north-india/award-karnal-swachh-award/242430 ; The Tribune — https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/haryana/karnal-city-tops-haryana-in-cleanliness-bags-presidents-award-for-2nd-consecutive-year/ ; ETV Bharat (PIB tables) — https://www.etvbharat.com/en/bharat/swachh-sarvekshan-awards-navi-mumbai-grabs-top-spot-in-super-swachh-league-surat-ranked-second-enn26111105028 ; PIB — https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2334316®=48&lang=2
