Indore’s Clean City Model Heads South; Kerala To Replicate Indore’s Sanitation Blueprint

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore’s remarkable journey in transforming urban sanitation has once again caught attention from other parts of the country— this time from the southern state of Kerala.

Recognising Indore’s consistent performance as India’s Cleanest City, Kerala’s Minister for Local Self-Government and Waste Management, MB Rajesh, visited the city on Thursday and announced plans to adopt Indore’s waste management model in Kerala’s urban framework.

Calling Indore’s system a national role model’, Rajesh was accompanied by the department’s secretary and a team of senior officials. The delegation toured key waste processing and segregation facilities, interacted with Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) officials, and gathered insights on the innovative yet replicable practices that power the city’s cleanliness success.

At the Mayor’s Office, the delegation met with Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, who shared a comprehensive presentation on Indore’s solid waste strategy — from collection to disposal, citizen participation to tech integration.

In a warm cultural gesture, the visiting minister was felicitated with a traditional angavastram and a copy of Nagarik, IMC’s civic publication. He extended an invitation to Indore officials to visit Kochi, which Mayor Bhargav accepted.

He added that Indore’s sanitation model has already drawn over 1,600 delegations from across India and abroad, and the city stands not just as a top performer, but as a mentor city for the nation. Reiterating this, the Mayor added, “There are no secrets in the Indore model. It’s fully transparent and adaptable in any region in India. Indore is no longer just number one in cleanliness; it has become a guiding city for the entire country.”

Minister for Local Self-Government and Waste Management, MB Rajesh said, "Indore has created a model that is both inspiring and achievable. The city’s sanitation framework is a role model for the entire nation. Kerala is ready to take lessons from here to scale up our own urban systems.”

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav said, "I am pleased that the Kerala government is planning to launch several innovations based on our cleanliness model. Likewise, we in Indore are keen to learn from Kerala’s excellence in sectors like health and education."