Haldwani Slips in Cleanliness Ranking

Haldwani trails in cleanliness ranking despite 1125 workers as Rudrapur, Kashipur lead Uttarakhand

Haldwani, Kumaon’s largest municipal corporation, has slipped in cleanliness rankings despite 1125 sanitation workers and about 5 crore rupees in annual spending. Rudrapur has emerged as the top-ranked city among Himalayan states, while Kashipur has been named Uttarakhand’s cleanest city after improvements in waste collection and civic services.

Editor: Khatima News Published: 12 Nov 2026, 02:28 PM Updated: 12 Nov 2026, 02:28 PM

Haldwani trails in cleanliness ranking despite 1125 workers as Rudrapur, Kashipur lead Uttarakhand.

Haldwani has fallen behind in the latest cleanliness ranking despite having the largest municipal corporation in Kumaon, 1125 sanitation workers and about 5 crore rupees allocated annually to cleaning-related work. Neighbouring Rudrapur has made a major improvement to become the top-ranked city among Himalayan states, while Kashipur has been recognised as Uttarakhand’s cleanest city.

Rudrapur’s progress is particularly notable because it stood at 316th nationally 5 years ago. Kashipur, which ranked 348th nationally and seventh in Uttarakhand in 2023-24, has also improved significantly.

Haldwani’s ranking record

Haldwani ranked 291st nationally last year, compared with 211th in 2023-24. Its earlier national positions were 282nd in 2022-23, 281st in 2021-22 and 229th in 2020-21.

The city’s state ranking has also weakened. Haldwani stood 14th in Uttarakhand last year, after ranking sixth previously. It was third in the state in 2019 and fourth in 2021.

Municipal officials have pointed to differences in the number of participating urban bodies. The survey involved 446 bodies when Haldwani ranked 211th, while the survey producing its 291st position covered 824 bodies.

5 crore rupees spent on sanitation

Haldwani Municipal Corporation has 1125 sanitation workers, including regular staff, contractual workers and members of neighbourhood sanitation committees. Their wages cost approximately 2 crore rupees annually.

Around 30% of the corporation’s total budget is spent on sanitation, amounting to about 3 crore rupees each year. This covers equipment purchases, maintenance of garbage vehicles, public awareness campaigns, publicity, pesticide spraying and fogging.

Despite these resources, several service gaps affect the city’s performance and residents’ daily experience.

Toilets and door-to-door collection remain challenges

Public toilet facilities are limited in Haldwani. Sulabh toilets are available at the roadways bus stand, Nainital Road, Kathgodam and Mangal Parao, but the cleanliness arrangements there are described as inadequate.

Residents and visitors also face a shortage of toilets in busy areas such as Mukhani, Kusumkhera, Unchapul, Deवलचौड़ and Sindhi Chauraha. Proposals have been prepared for new facilities, but construction has not yet taken place.

The corporation collects waste daily from around 58 thousand households and 8 thousand commercial buildings across 60 wards using 100 garbage vehicles. Baini Sena collects user charges for the service, but it says 15% of residents and establishments do not pay them.

According to the report, some non-paying households and businesses dispose of waste secretly in drains, canals and public places. In the newer 27 wards, sanitation workers visit daily, but only 3 vehicles are available for waste collection. Larger wards also face staff shortages.

Narrow lanes create another obstacle. In parts of Rajpura, Banbhulpura, Indiranagar and Damuwadhunga, some lanes are only 2 to 4 feet wide. Residents in these areas often carry their waste to a common point because collection vehicles cannot reach their homes.

Open dumping and waste mountains

Open drains and public locations along Nainital Road, Awas Vikas, Subhashnagar, Rajpura, Indiranagar, Shani Bazaar drain and near the municipal corporation office are frequently used for dumping waste. These places often accumulate rubbish, particularly during the morning and night.

Haldwani generates 130 to 140 metric tonnes of waste each day. The total for the district reaches 220 to 230 metric tonnes. Waste is taken to the trenching ground near the Gaulapar bypass, where more than 1.90 lakh metric tonnes has accumulated.

Over the past year, the municipal administration awarded a 15 crore contract to 2 firms to remove the waste mound. The work is expected to take time because the waste has accumulated over several years.

The city also lacks sewerage coverage in several wards. Sewerage and used-water management receive separate marks in the cleanliness survey. Work to lay sewer lines in newer wards is progressing under an ADB-funded scheme, but the facilities are not yet available.

What the survey measures

The cleanliness assessment considers several aspects of urban services, including:

Door-to-door waste collection.
Separation of wet and dry waste.
Scientific waste disposal.
Cleanliness of public places.
The condition of public toilets.
Sewerage and used-water management.
Welfare of sanitation workers.
Citizen feedback and complaint resolution.

The assessment also examines whether a city has enough toilets, how waste is collected and processed, and what steps are taken to maintain cleanliness. Residents are asked about their satisfaction and whether complaints have been resolved. The survey is conducted through an independent agency or institution.

Municipal Commissioner Paritosh Verma said a planned waste-disposal strategy was prepared during the past year. He said the effort had reduced waste piles to a considerable extent and that Haldwani would benefit from the work in the coming years.

Conclusion

Haldwani’s ranking reflects continuing gaps in toilets, waste collection, sewerage, open dumping and waste processing despite substantial staffing and spending. Rudrapur and Kashipur’s stronger results show the contrast within Kumaon, while Haldwani’s waste-removal and sewerage projects remain central to future improvement.