The Bhopal Municipal Corporation has intensified cleanliness and beautification work across the city ahead of the expected arrival of the Swachh Survekshan assessment team. Officials said the survey team could reach Bhopal within the next two days, prompting civic authorities to speed up sanitation and visual improvement efforts in several areas.

As part of the campaign, the corporation has created around 40 themed cleanliness paintings across different parts of the city. One such large painting depicting a sea-like artwork was created in a lane at Punjabi Bagh in Zone-9 on Monday, attracting local residents and visitors. The preparations have become part of the Latest News Today updates as Bhopal attempts to improve its national cleanliness ranking under the Swachh Survekshan 2025-26 assessment.

Focus On Visual Cleanliness

Officials said the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has placed special emphasis this year on “visible cleanliness” during on-ground inspection. According to the revised guidelines, city rankings will depend heavily on practical sanitation conditions rather than only documentation and reports.

Because of this, municipal teams have intensified cleaning operations on roads, drains, public toilets and back lanes. Painting and beautification work is also being carried out in several localities to improve the city’s visual appeal before inspection. Large commercial areas including New Market, 10 Number Market, Old City, Karond, Kolar and Bairagarh are among the locations where garbage collection and beautification activities have been prioritised.

Streets And Drains Under Focus

Municipal workers are carrying out drain cleaning drives and road sweeping operations in multiple zones of the city. Public toilets are also being cleaned and repaired as authorities aim to improve sanitation standards before the survey team arrives.

Back lanes in several colonies are being painted with colourful themes as part of the civic body’s beautification initiative. Officials confirmed that work at Punjabi Bagh was completed on Monday, while painting projects at other locations will continue over the next few days. Authorities believe such initiatives could help improve citizen perception and boost scores in the visual cleanliness category.

Major Challenges Remain

Despite ongoing efforts, many parts of the city continue to face issues related to garbage accumulation, broken dustbins, damaged roads and open drains. Civic officials admitted that maintaining visible cleanliness across the entire city remains a major challenge.

Under the Swachh Survekshan framework, Bhopal can earn up to 1,500 marks for visible cleanliness alone. Officials fear that poor sanitation conditions in certain areas could lead to deduction of crucial points during physical inspection. Markets and commercial areas remain among the biggest concern zones because of daily waste generation and crowd pressure. Authorities are focusing on increasing waste lifting frequency and maintaining cleaner public spaces in such locations.

Ranking System Explained

According to officials, the Swachh Survekshan ranking this year will be based on ten major indicators covering sanitation, waste management and citizen participation. The assessment includes 10,500 marks for on-ground evaluation and citizen feedback. Visible cleanliness carries 1,500 marks, while ODF, ODF++ and Water Plus certification together account for 1,000 marks. Garbage-free city star ratings also contribute another 1,000 marks. Officials said public feedback would play an important role in determining the final ranking. As a result, awareness campaigns are also being conducted to encourage citizens to give positive responses during the survey process.

Back Lanes Need Attention

Back lane cleanliness and maintenance have emerged as another critical parameter under the survey guidelines. Authorities can earn 200 marks for maintaining clean and properly managed rear lanes behind residential and commercial properties. In response, the municipal corporation has launched intensive cleaning and painting campaigns in several colonies. However, many areas still suffer from garbage dumping and lack of regular maintenance. Officials said public walls and open spaces must also remain free from paan stains and open urination marks to secure higher marks under sanitation indicators.

Waste Management Problems Persist

The city’s garbage management system continues to face operational difficulties despite large-scale spending on beautification and waste-related projects. Several garbage-sensitive spots cleared earlier have reportedly become dumping points again. Plastic waste bins installed in many areas are damaged or broken, while open garbage disposal continues in some colonies. Civic officials are attempting to remove secondary garbage collection points and replace them with door-to-door waste collection systems. Authorities have also warned agencies involved in construction projects to clean barricades that have become stained with paan and gutkha marks.

Legacy Waste Biggest Concern

One of the biggest concerns for Bhopal remains the Adampur garbage trenching ground, where legacy waste continues to pile up. Officials admitted that the site has negatively affected the city’s ranking in previous Swachh Survekshan assessments. The garbage mound at Adampur remains a major environmental challenge due to repeated fire incidents and leaking contaminated water. Residents living near the site have repeatedly raised concerns over pollution and foul smell in the area.

Meanwhile, drain cleaning operations are underway in different parts of the city, and work has reportedly been completed in six municipal zones. Authorities are also constructing a 60 MLD sewage treatment plant in Bhanpur at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore to strengthen wastewater management infrastructure. As Bhopal prepares for inspection, civic officials remain focused on improving visible cleanliness, waste management and citizen participation in an effort to secure a better ranking in the national cleanliness survey.