Union Minister Manohar Khattar launches PRAGATI-50 to develop 50 model cities for urban cleanliness
Babushahi Bureau/PIB
New Delhi, September 29, 2026: Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal on Tuesday launched the PRAGATI-50 initiative, under which 50 cities across 24 states will be developed as model cities for urban cleanliness and sanitation.
The initiative has been introduced under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 following directions issued during the 51st PRAGATI meeting. It aims to help the selected cities improve cleanliness, solid waste management, used-water management, sanitation and citizen participation through measurable targets and technology-enabled monitoring.
Speaking at the launch, Manohar Lal said the 50 cities would be developed as role models by moving beyond routine sanitation activities and focusing on sustained improvements in visible cleanliness.
He said the selected cities include major urban centres, culturally significant cities, tourism destinations and economic hubs. Progress will be assessed through outcome-based reviews and digital monitoring, with the minister stating that he would chair review meetings every two months.
Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said the initiative would support cities in working towards the goal of becoming Garbage Free Cities within a defined timeframe. He called on states and urban local bodies to prepare detailed, city-level action plans for implementation.
Several other initiatives were also launched during the programme, including the Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre in Durgapur in collaboration with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI).
The facility will focus on research, product development, testing, validation, certification and capacity building in sanitation technologies.
The Ministry also launched the third cohort of sanitation and waste-management startups in collaboration with the Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) at IIT Kanpur. Thirteen startups have joined the latest cohort, taking the total number of startups engaged under the mission to 75.
A dedicated WhatsApp channel was also introduced to make it easier for citizens to register sanitation-related complaints and seek grievance redressal.
The Swachhata Behaviour Change Digital Kosh, a digital repository of communication resources, campaign ideas and creative material, was launched to help states, urban local bodies and other stakeholders promote behavioural change around cleanliness and sustainable practices.
The programme also saw the release of a Standard Operating Procedure for setting up secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste, along with guidelines for source segregation of municipal solid waste under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
As part of Swachhata Hi Seva 2026, Manohar Lal also inaugurated a Reduce, Reuse and Recycle (RRR) Centre at Sankalp Bhawan in New Delhi. According to the ministry, it is the first such centre established in a Union ministry office and is intended to promote reuse, resource recovery and more sustainable consumption practices in government workplaces.
The ministry said a digital review mechanism modelled on PRAGATI has also been established on the Swachhatam Portal, with ministry officials assigned to monitor and support individual cities.