Jammu among 50 cities picked as ‘Swachhata’ role models

NEW DELHI, Sept 29:

Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Gurugram, Jammu, Bengaluru and Bhopal are among the 50 cities identified under the PRAGATI-50 initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for demonstrating a higher benchmark of ‘Swachhata’ through targeted and technology-enabled monitoring.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs (HUA) Minister Manohar Lal said that these 50 cities will emerge as clean role model cities for the rest of the country by going beyond routine sanitation work and demonstrating sustained and high-performance parameters of visible cleanliness.

In a statement, the ministry said that the initiative has been taken in pursuance of directions given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 51st PRAGATI (proactive governance and timely implementation) meeting and is being implemented within the framework of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

Ahmedabad, Faridabad, Shimla, Jammu, Bengaluru, Ujjain, Bhopal, Delhi, Mumbai, Surat, Gurugram and Indore are also among the 50 cities identified under the initiative, which covers cities across 24 states.

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Officers from the HUA ministry will be assigned specific cities for regular supervision and handholding.

The minister said the initiative aims to drive visible improvements in urban cleanliness, solid waste management, used water management, sanitation and citizen participation through a structured framework of monitoring and review within a defined timeframe.

Progress will be continuously reviewed through outcome-based assessments and technology-enabled monitoring.

Lal said he would personally chair review meetings every other month to track the advancement of these cities.

In the statement, Union Minister of State for HUA Tokhan Sahu said Swachhata has evolved from a people’s movement into a way of life over the past decade.

He said the new model cities initiative would help cities achieve the goal of “Garbage Free Cities” within a stipulated timeframe and enable them to emerge as role models for other urban centres.

He called upon states and urban local bodies to prepare micro-level action plans and ensure their swift and effective implementation.

To ensure efficient monitoring, a PRAGATI-like digital review mechanism has been established on the Swachhatam portal.

The programme also included the launch of guidelines for source segregation of municipal solid waste and a standard operating procedure for establishing secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste. (PTI)