The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) convened a high-level virtual meeting with all States & UTs on Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. Under the chairmanship of Union Minister, Manohar Lal in the presence of MoS, MoHUA, Tokhan Sahu and Secretary, MoHUA S. Katikithala, the meeting prioritised visible cleanliness in urban India and the double-pronged approach of identification and transformation of Cleanliness Target Units (CTUs).
With over 8 lakh Cleanliness Target Units transformed during ‘Swachhata Hi Seva 2024’, the MoHUA has urged States to prioritise visible urban cleanliness by identifying neglected, difficult, and dark spots and ensuring transformation and beautification within a defined timeframe.
Highlighting the critical role of CTUs as engines of change for urban development and policy implementation, Union Minister Manohar Lal emphasised that cleanliness and urban development go hand in hand, describing them as two sides of the same coin. The Ministry has drafted a framework for time-bound clearance of these urban lands, that focuses on regular reviews and aggressive monitoring by States, citizen mobilization and interface for mapping CTUs via Swachhata App, fast-tracking and time-bound clearance of the mapped sites, beautification to reclaim the land and prevent re-accumulation.
These CTUs will be mapped on the https://swachhatahiseva.gov.in/ portal. With focus on the ignored and difficult sports, the cities have been advised to identify the Legacy Waste Dumpsites as high-intensity CTUs that will require time and resource for transformation. ULBs may collaborate with PSUs, private firms, CSR groups, NGOs, startups, and other stakeholders for adoption of these CTUs.
The cities should encourage the use and adoption of the Swachhata App to identify and transform CTUs. With over 2 crore registered users, the app captures location, images, and CTU details when issues are reported, and auto-assigns them to ward officials. Notifications are sent at submission and resolution, with a 7-day window for citizens to confirm or reopen complaints.
Reiterating the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s call to action for swachhata, Union Minster, Manohar Lal, said, “CTU cleaning is about converting eyesores into areas of pride, restoring dignity of public spaces, and ensuring that cleanliness is not just on paper, but visible, felt, and experienced by every citizen in their daily lives.”
MoS, MoHUA, Tokhan Sahu urged the States to lead the expeditious intervention of Solid Waste Management. He highlighted that with just 12 months left for the completion of SBM-U 2.0, it’s time to move swiftly to achieve all key targets within the set timeline.
In line with building cleaner cities and strengthening capacity under SBM-U 2.0, MoHUA launched the Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) guidelines. 72 top-performing cities of SS 2024-25 will mentor and handhold 72 low performer mentee cities. Based on the ‘Each One Teach One’ model SSJ is aimed at scaling the impact of successful sanitation models and seeks to institutionalize structured mentorship, peer learning, and collaborative action between mentor and mentee cities within the same State.
Within a span of two months, MoHUA held two rounds of State meetings to review progress under SBM-U 2.0, with a strong focus on Legacy Waste Management, Solid Waste Management and setting up CBG plants. To accelerate the goal of Garbage Free Cities, the Ministry urged States to drive aggressive monitoring, daily review and fast-track waste processing plants and dumpsite remediation.
