Unity and the Spirit of Antyodaya Are Key to Clean Cities, Union Minister Khattar States

Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar stresses the importance of unity and the spirit of Antyodaya in achieving clean cities through the Swachh Shehar Jodi Initiative, which pairs mentor and mentee cities for improved urban sanitation.

Union Minister of Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal Khattar, emphasised the importance of unity and the Antyodaya spirit for making Indian cities clean and garbage-free. He spoke at the launch of the Swachh Shehar Jodi (SSJ) Initiative at IIT Education City. Khattar noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 Swachh Bharat Mission continues Mahatma Gandhi's vision.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, participating via video conference from Karnal, expressed Haryana's commitment to leading this initiative. Five municipal corporations each from Sonipat and Karnal have been paired under the programme. Saini thanked Khattar for spearheading this collaborative effort to enhance urban cleanliness in India.

City Pairings and Collaboration

The SSJ initiative involves pairing 72 mentor cities with around 200 mentee cities. This represents the largest city-twinning framework in urban waste management so far. Cities were chosen based on their performance in the latest Swachh Survekshan survey. High-performing cities serve as mentors, while those needing improvement are mentees.

Khattar explained that pairings were determined by geographical proximity and performance gaps to ensure effective knowledge exchange. During the national programme, all participating cities signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). Municipal officers and political representatives attended, marking this as a historic occasion.

Super Swachh League Recognition

The Union minister highlighted the ministry's Super Swachh League (SSL), which recognises consistent performers in Swachh Survekshan 2022, 2023, and 2024. The top three cities in five population categories are included in this league. These cities will form the foundation of mentor cities, while mentee cities come from lower-ranked states.

This initiative aims to foster collaboration between cities to improve urban sanitation. The programme's structure ensures a practical, peer-learning approach, enhancing urban waste management across India.

With inputs from PTI