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Civic Sense India

A better country begins with how we treat our shared spaces.

Shared spaces are treated as everyone's own.

AI-generated illustration

What good looks like

Shared spaces treated as everyone's own: queues, traffic rules, clean stairwells, respect for neighbours.

Streets, parks and stairwells kept clean by the people who use them
Queues, traffic rules and neighbours respected
Small habits that add up to a better city

Current problems

Waste is collected but not always treated, so it ends up in dumps and drains.
Shared spaces depend on everyone's habits, not only on the municipality.

Evidence and data

About half

Share of city waste that is treated

CPCB's 2020-21 report: over 95% of the roughly 1.6 lakh tonnes a day was collected, but only about half was treated (sources quoting the report give 47% to 52%).

Source: Central Pollution Control Board · 2020-21 · checked 13 November 2026

Figures from public reports; we are checking them against the latest releases.

Why this matters

A city is shared. Litter, noise and queues decide how everyone's day feels, and they start with small habits repeated by millions.

Possible solutions

1
Separate waste at home
The Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016 ask households to separate wet, dry and domestic hazardous waste.
2
Look after the shared space you use
Keep stairwells, parks and bus stops clean; wait your turn in queues.
3
Ask your ward office
Ask where your waste is processed and how to report a problem.

Positive Indian examples

Indore: cleanest city, seven years running

Indore was named India's cleanest city in the government's Swachh Survekshan survey for the seventh year in a row (results announced January 2024), with Surat as a joint winner.

Source: The Week (PTI): Indore, Surat cleanest cities, Swachh Survekshan 2023 · checked 13 November 2026

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