Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal launched the PRAGATI-50 initiative in New Delhi on 29 September 2026 to develop 50 cities across 24 states as role model cities for sanitation. The initiative works within the framework of Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 and uses outcome based targets with technology enabled monitoring. These 50 cities are expected to set higher benchmarks in visible cleanliness that other urban centres can replicate.
What Is the PRAGATI-50 Initiative?
The PRAGATI-50 initiative is a focused programme of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to build 50 model sanitation cities across 24 states. It follows directions given by the Prime Minister at the 51st PRAGATI meeting. Selected cities must move beyond routine cleaning and deliver visible, measurable outcomes.
PRAGATI stands for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation. It began as a multi modal platform launched by the Prime Minister on 25 March 2015. The platform was designed in house by the Prime Minister’s Office with support from the National Informatics Centre (NIC). It combines digital data management, video conferencing and geospatial technology to review grievances, programmes and projects with central secretaries and state chief secretaries.
PRAGATI-50 applies that same review approach to urban sanitation. MoHUA launched the initiative in New Delhi on 29 September 2026. Union Minister Manohar Lal said the 50 cities will emerge as role model cities by showing sustained and high performance in visible cleanliness. He will personally chair review meetings every other month to track progress.
The initiative focuses on five practical areas. These are visible urban cleanliness, solid waste management, used water management, sanitation access and citizen participation. Progress will be judged through outcome based assessment and technology enabled monitoring within a defined time frame, instead of only checking funds spent or toilets built.
What Is Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0?
The Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) is the second phase of India’s urban cleanliness mission, run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It was launched by the Prime Minister on 1 October 2021. The mission aims to make all cities garbage free with safe sanitation.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is India’s national cleanliness campaign. It was launched by the Prime Minister at Rajpath in New Delhi on 2 October 2014. The launch paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi ahead of his 150th birth anniversary in 2019. The first phase focused on ending open defecation, building household and community toilets and changing public behaviour.
The urban part of the first phase helped declare statutory towns open defecation free and raised daily waste processing from less than 20 percent in 2014 to about 70 percent by 2021. More than 10 crore individual household toilets were built under the combined rural and urban missions. This success created the base for a deeper second phase.
SBM-U 2.0 continues the mission till 2025-26 with a total outlay of ₹1,41,600 crore. The Cabinet approved the extension on 12 October 2021. Operational guidelines were issued by MoHUA after state consultations in Lucknow. The mission is paperless and digital, with GIS mapped infrastructure, online fund release and project tracking.
| Component | Key Target Under SBM-U 2.0 |
|---|---|
| Sustainable sanitation | All statutory towns to become at least ODF Plus, cities with less than 1 lakh population to become ODF Plus Plus, plus over 3.5 lakh new toilets |
| Used water management | Safe collection, treatment and reuse of grey water and black water in cities with less than 1 lakh population outside AMRUT, with no untreated discharge into water bodies |
| Solid waste management | 100 percent source segregation with Material Recovery Facilities in every city, processing of construction and demolition waste, and remediation of legacy dumpsites holding about 15 crore tonnes of waste across 14,000 acres |
| Garbage Free Cities | All cities to achieve at least 3 star Garbage Free certification and move toward water plus status through treated wastewater reuse |
ODF Plus means a town sustains its open defecation free status with clean and functional community and public toilets. ODF Plus Plus adds safe management of faecal sludge and septage. Water Plus means treated wastewater is reused and no untreated sewage enters water bodies.
What Is the Swachhatam Portal and How Will the PRAGATI Review Work?
The Swachhatam Portal is the integrated digital platform of SBM Urban for planning, monitoring and evaluation. It connects the Ministry, states and urban local bodies in one interface. Cities upload project details, waste data and daily progress for evidence based review and fund tracking.
The portal hosts modules for project mapping, bulk waste generators, capacity building and safety equipment for sanitation workers. Its Geospatial Management Information System maps each project with location, duration and real time images. States can track physical and financial progress through dashboards. States have been asked to update progress daily to allow rigorous review.
Under PRAGATI-50, MoHUA has created a PRAGATI like digital review mechanism on the Swachhatam Portal. Officers from the Ministry will be assigned specific cities for regular supervision and handholding. States and urban local bodies must prepare micro level action plans and implement them quickly.
Union Minister Manohar Lal said he will chair review meetings every other month. Reviews will use key performance indicators and outcome based assessment. The focus is on visible results such as clean streets, segregated collection, scientific processing and citizen feedback. The system brings transparency and accountability, since field images and data remain open to higher officials for follow up till issues are closed.
At the same launch event, MoHUA also released guidelines for source segregation of municipal solid waste and a standard operating procedure for secondary collection centres for construction and demolition waste. The Minister launched the Swachhata Behaviour Change Digital Kosh, a repository of ideas, creatives and campaign material for states and cities. The mission also supports the Swachh Bharat Test Bed and Innovation Centre at Durgapur, set up with CSIR Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, for testing and certification of sanitation technologies.
Which Cities Are Covered and How Were They Chosen?
The PRAGATI-50 list covers 50 cities across 24 states, spanning 76 municipal areas. It includes all municipal zones of large metros such as Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Pune, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Almost all state capitals find a place, along with cities of economic, cultural, heritage, pilgrimage and tourism importance.
Selection follows the challenge given at the 51st PRAGATI meeting held on 27 May, where the target was set to make 50 cities fully clean in all aspects. MoHUA then identified cities that could demonstrate a higher benchmark quickly and inspire others. The mix ensures that lessons cover mega cities, fast growing industrial hubs and high footfall pilgrimage towns.
| City Type | Examples Included in PRAGATI-50 |
|---|---|
| Major metros and capitals | Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Patna, Ranchi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Srinagar, Jammu, Shimla |
| Economic and industrial hubs | Surat, Ahmedabad, Gurugram, Faridabad, Ludhiana, Coimbatore, Nashik, Mysuru, Indore, Ujjain, Bilaspur |
| Cultural, heritage and pilgrimage centres | Varanasi, Ayodhya, Mathura, Prayagraj, Agra, Puri, Udaipur, Haridwar, Tirupati, Gaya, Dharamshala, Warangal |
Each selected city must prepare a micro level action plan. The plan covers door to door collection, segregation at source, processing capacity, dumpsite remediation, sewage treatment and clean public spaces. Ministry officers will guide cities in closing gaps in tenders, land allocation, state share funding and institutional capacity.
What Is Swachh Survekshan and How Does It Link to PRAGATI-50?
Swachh Survekshan is the annual cleanliness survey of MoHUA under SBM Urban, held since 2016. It ranks cities on visible cleanliness, waste collection, processing, sanitation access and citizen feedback. Top performers earn national awards and Garbage Free City and ODF certifications shape the final score.
The survey began with 73 large cities in 2016 and now covers more than 4,500 cities. The ninth edition uses a total score of 12,500 marks, with 10,000 marks for field assessment and documentation and 2,500 marks for Garbage Free City star rating and ODF Plus, ODF Plus Plus and Water Plus certifications. Citizen feedback and grievance redressal carry dedicated weight.
In the 2024-25 results, Ahmedabad, Bhopal and Lucknow emerged as top clean cities, while 23 cities entered the Super Swachh League for consistent top performance. Indore and Surat have set long term benchmarks through repeated top ranks. These rankings create healthy competition and push cities to improve segregation, wastewater reuse, dumpsite clearance and care for sanitation workers.
PRAGATI-50 builds on this competitive spirit. Instead of ranking all cities once a year, it gives intensive handholding to 50 cities for continuous improvement. Citizen participation remains central through the Swachhata App, which has over 2 crore registered users (as of October 2026) and has resolved more than 94 percent of about 2.55 crore complaints. Better feedback, cleaner public toilets and quick complaint resolution will directly influence outcome scores for the 50 cities.
Significance and the Way Forward
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs reports that scientific waste processing rose from about 16 percent in 2014 to about 81 percent in 2026 under SBM Urban. Door to door collection now reaches 97 percent of wards. PRAGATI-50 must carry this progress to 100 percent segregation, full processing and complete remediation of legacy dumpsites. Clean streets, safe toilets and treated wastewater reduce disease, protect rivers and improve daily life in dense urban areas.
Clean model cities also support tourism, investment and local jobs. Pilgrimage towns such as Varanasi, Ayodhya and Tirupati receive heavy footfall, so visible cleanliness shapes visitor experience and local income. Better segregation and material recovery back the 3R principle of reduce, reuse and recycle. Waste to wealth units, compost plants and construction waste units can create green jobs while freeing urban land.
Challenges remain in funding, execution and behaviour. Cities must ensure timely state share, faster tenders, land for processing units and trained staff. Segregation at home and market level still needs steady citizen action. PRAGATI-50 addresses these gaps through fixed indicators, daily data updates and direct minister level review.
The road ahead is clear. Urban local bodies will finalise micro level plans, strengthen collection fleets and processing plants, and clear mapped dirty spots in a time bound manner. Ministry mentors will track each city on the Swachhatam Portal. Success in 50 cities will create tested models for Garbage Free Cities that other towns can copy in the run up to 2030 sustainable development goals.
Key Takeaways
- Union Minister Manohar Lal launched the PRAGATI-50 initiative on 29 September 2026 in New Delhi to develop 50 cities across 24 states as sanitation role models.
- PRAGATI-50 works under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, which was launched on 1 October 2021 with an outlay of ₹1,41,600 crore till 2025-26.
- PRAGATI stands for Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation, first launched as a central review platform on 25 March 2015 with NIC support.
- A PRAGATI like review mechanism on the Swachhatam Portal will track the 50 cities, with Ministry officers assigned for supervision and minister level review every other month.
- The original Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was launched on 2 October 2014 at Rajpath, while Swachh Survekshan has ranked cities annually since 2016 under MoHUA.
