Shopian, Nov 12: Shopian town in south Kashmir has secured the third rank nationally in the Clean Himalayan City category under the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2025-26, bringing recognition to the town’s cleanliness and waste-management efforts.
The award was presented by President Droupadi Murmu at a ceremony held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi. Deputy Commissioner Shopian Charandeep Singh and Municipal Council Chief Executive Officer Suhail Malik received the award on behalf of the town.
For residents, the recognition is a moment of satisfaction as well as a reminder of the responsibility of keeping public spaces clean.
“It is really a proud moment for our district that we made it to the third rank,” said Bashir Ahmad, a local resident.
He said the achievement should encourage people to take greater responsibility for maintaining cleanliness rather than leaving the task entirely to municipal authorities.
“Now it is the collective responsibility of all citizens to keep our area clean. The administration and municipal workers can do their part, but public cooperation is equally important,” he said.
The recognition comes amid growing attention to cleanliness and sustainable waste management in smaller Himalayan towns, where urban expansion, increasing commercial activity and tourism can put pressure on civic infrastructure.
Shopian’s ranking reflects the efforts of the Municipal Council, sanitation workers, the district administration and residents in maintaining public spaces and improving waste-management practices.
For sanitation workers, whose daily work often goes unnoticed, the award also brings recognition to their contribution to the town’s civic environment.
The challenge now will be to sustain the performance and ensure that cleanliness becomes a regular civic practice rather than an exercise driven by rankings and awards.
Residents say maintaining clean streets, preventing littering and ensuring proper disposal of household and commercial waste will require consistent public participation.
The third-place ranking has placed Shopian among the better-performing Himalayan urban centres nationally, but residents say the real measure of success will be whether the town can maintain and improve its cleanliness standards in the years ahead.
