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Indian Express
a day ago
- General
- Indian Express
SMC releases marksheet: Surat city topped among 4,900 cities in Super Swachh League 2025
Surat city topped among 4,900 cities in the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 by securing 12,151 out of 12,500 marks in the Super Swachh League, leaving behind Indore with 12,147 marks and Navi Mumbai with 12,074 marks in the category, according to figures released by the Surat Municipal Corporation on Tuesday. The marks in the Super Swachh League category were given to cities with a population of over 10 lakh. The Swachh Survey Inter-Award Ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, on July 17. At the event, Surat city won an award for the best performance in the Super Swachh League from President Droupadi Murmu that was accepted by Surat Mayor Daxesh Mawani and Surat Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal. Sources in Surat Municipal Corporation now revealed that the city has 'achieved a 100 per cent score (1300/1300) with a 7-star rating' in 'Garbage Free City (GFC)' — a comprehensive assessment framework that evaluates a city's solid waste management system across 24 defined indicators, awarding a star rating from 1 to 7. It emphasises 100% source segregation of waste, door-to-door collection from all premises, complete elimination of open dumping and burning, scientific processing of all waste types, remediation of legacy dumpsites, and visible cleanliness across the city. Achieving a 7- star status reflects the city's sustained excellence in decentralised waste systems, zero-waste practices, and active citizen participation. Surat city also scored a 100 per cent (1200/1200) in 'Water + Certification', which recognises cities ensuring 100% treatment, safe reuse and disposal of all wastewater, including faecal sludge. Cities are required to operate functional sewage and faecal sludge treatment facilities, achieve zero untreated discharge into water bodies, and reuse treated water for landscaping, construction, or industrial use. The certification also requires cities to involve bulk water consumers through formal reuse agreements and to promote awareness on water conservation and environmental protection among citizens. The city also scored a 100 per cent in 'Used Water Management' (1000/1000), 'Ecosystem Strengthening and Institutional Parameters' (400/400) and 'Advocacy for Cleanliness' (1500/ 1500). In 'Visible Cleanliness' category Surat scored 1490 out of 1500 marks, while 1489 out of 1500 in 'Solid Waste Management', 989 out of 1000 in 'Sanitation Access', and 493 out of 500 in 'Sanitation Worker Welfare' category. As per sources in the SMC's Health department, last year, more than 100 representatives from the states of Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, New Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, and cities like Mehsana and Vapi had visited Surat city and received mentorship on best sanitation practices.
Indian Express
13-07-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
Carats 2025: Surat diamond expo attracts total business of over Rs 100 crore
Amid a global slowdown in the diamond industry, Carats 2025, an diamond exhibition held in Surat, attracted a total business of over Rs 100 crore, compared to last year's Rs 75 crore. The three-day exhibition culminated on Sunday in Surat city. Carats 2025, featuring loose polished, natural and lab-grown diamonds (LGD), diamond-studded jewellery, and diamond industry tools, was organised by the Surat Diamond Association in Avadh Uthopia, Surat. A total of 73 exhibitors, mainly from Surat and Mumbai, showcased their products. The main attraction of the exhibition was two lab-grown diamonds, which are sold in pairs and weigh 38 carats each. The buyers were from Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Kerala, Chennai, and Cochin. Apart from this, over 30 buyers were from Dubai, Ukraine, Russia and the USA. Sources said that at the exhibition, 12 stalls were of diamond tools, 10 of jewellery, and the remaining were of loose polished diamonds. Surat city Mayor Daxesh Mawani had inaugurated the three-day event in the presence of BJP MP Govind Dholakia. The Mayor also appealed to businessmen and industrialists to organise an 8-10-day 'shopping festival', similar to one held in Dubai. One of the exhibitors, Jagdish Ahir of Bansi Diamonds, Surat, said, 'I have been attending the event since the last five years, and this event was quite overwhelming as we have done more business than last year. It was quite unexpected. Amid an economic slowdown, such exhibitions should be conducted regularly, as exhibitors will make new contacts with whom they can do business throughout the year and continue to do so for years to come. The annual turnover of business from each contact is in crores. I participate in exhibitions held in Surat, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Jaipur, and even international exhibitions in the USA, Hong Kong, and other locations. The motive behind attending such exhibitions is to increase my customers and raise the sales graph.' 'I came to Surat at the age of 14 from Amreli and started working as a diamond polisher. I studied up to Class 5 class, but I worked hard and learnt the art of diamond cutting and polishing, and learned to identify diamonds based on their quality. Later, I began trading locally, purchasing diamonds from the domestic market and selling them to traders. Then I started my own diamond cutting and polishing factory. I was never satisfied with the diamond manufacturing unit, so I transitioned into a diamond-studded jewellery business and continued to operate it. One of my friends advised me to participate in a diamond-studded jewellery exhibition, which is nationally and internationally recognised. So I did, and now I am running both my diamond cutting and polishing factory and a diamond-studded jewellery unit. I have multiple offices in India and abroad.' Talking to The Indian Express, Surat Diamond Association president Jagdish Khunt said, 'We have taken feedback from the exhibitors and they are delighted. They have advised us to organise such exhibitions twice a year. Last year, the overall business of Carats was estimated to be up to Rs 75 crore, and this year it has surpassed Rs 100 crore. The exhibition helps exhibitors get new contacts for their business.'
