New Delhi – Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, on Thursday chaired a high-level meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), focusing on the achievements and strategic direction of the Swachh Bharat Mission – Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0). The session brought together senior officials, Members of Parliament from both Houses, and key policymakers to assess the program’s ongoing impact and refine its trajectory.
Minister of State for Housing & Urban Affairs, Tokhan Sahu, MoHUA Secretary Srinivas Kathikala, and Joint Secretary (SBM) Roopa Mishra were among the notable attendees who contributed to the policy discussions. Members of Parliament from across party lines participated, offering inputs and feedback on sanitation progress across their constituencies.
Detailed Review of SBM-U 2.0 Progress
Joint Secretary Roopa Mishra presented an in-depth report highlighting the performance indicators of SBM-U 2.0, which was launched in 2021 as a continuation of the original Swachh Bharat Mission. The presentation detailed urban local bodies’ achievements in solid waste management, sanitation coverage, and behavioral change initiatives across urban India.
According to the Ministry, SBM-U 2.0 has significantly strengthened waste segregation, door-to-door collection, and treatment infrastructure in more than 4,700 urban centers. Efforts have also been made to integrate digital monitoring systems and real-time dashboards to assess performance at city and ward levels.
Minister Emphasizes Behavioural Change and Infrastructure Modernization
Addressing the committee, Manohar Lal praised the mission’s transformative role in reshaping urban sanitation and cleanliness standards. He acknowledged that while physical infrastructure has improved, sustaining cleanliness requires a long-term commitment to civic engagement and behavioral change.
“Cleanliness is not a one-time campaign. It must be woven into the urban lifestyle,” Lal stated. He urged all stakeholders to move beyond symbolic gestures and ensure that sanitation services are future-ready, resilient, and inclusive. The Minister pointed out that sanitation is directly linked to public health outcomes, including a reduction in child mortality rates and improved quality of life for women and marginalized communities.
Highlighting Indore and Surat as model cities, Lal lauded their consistent top rankings in Swachh Survekshan and their success in mobilizing community participation. He encouraged other cities to adopt innovative practices, citizen-centric governance, and technological solutions to enhance performance.
Urging Competitive Spirit and Global Best Practices
Manohar Lal called for healthy competition among cities to foster innovation and peer learning. He emphasized the value of global benchmarking, advocating for the adoption of best practices from international urban sanitation programs while adapting them to India’s context.
He also flagged the need to modernize sanitation systems to address challenges posed by rapid urbanization and climate change. “We must invest in smart infrastructure, safe disposal mechanisms, and resource recovery technologies that are both environment-friendly and economically viable,” Lal added.
Minister of State Tokhan Sahu Highlights Civic Awareness
Minister Tokhan Sahu, addressing the gathering, reiterated the role of the Swachh Bharat Mission in cultivating a deep sense of civic pride and ownership among citizens. He said that the campaign has created a culture of accountability in urban governance and brought sanitation to the forefront of national priorities.
Sahu particularly focused on the mission’s contribution to improving child health indicators and ensuring safe and hygienic environments for school-going children and working women. He called on urban bodies to institutionalize regular public awareness campaigns and engage youth, schoolchildren, and civil society in city-wide sanitation drives.
Members of Parliament Voice Suggestions and Concerns
During the meeting, several MPs acknowledged the positive change brought about by SBM-U 2.0 but also highlighted implementation challenges in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Issues such as limited funds for smaller municipalities, lack of trained personnel, and poor enforcement of waste management rules were raised.
Some MPs proposed increasing the share of central funding for urban sanitation projects and enhancing the role of ward committees in monitoring local initiatives. Others stressed the importance of decentralized waste processing, integration of informal sanitation workers, and better grievance redressal mechanisms.
The ministry assured the members that their suggestions would be incorporated into future policy formulations and that efforts would be made to scale successful pilots nationally.
Achievements and Road Ahead
Under SBM-U 2.0, more than 85% of India’s urban areas now have 100% door-to-door waste collection, and more than 75% of waste is being scientifically processed, according to MoHUA data shared at the meeting. The mission also aims to make all cities garbage-free through the Garbage-Free City (GFC) certification framework.
The focus is now on converting dumpsites into green zones, expanding treatment facilities, and integrating urban sanitation planning with broader urban development schemes like AMRUT 2.0 and Smart Cities Mission.
MoHUA is also prioritizing capacity building for urban local bodies, with a push toward training municipal staff in solid waste management techniques, use of data analytics for sanitation planning, and community engagement strategies.
Ministerial Commitment to Sanitation Goals
Concluding the meeting, Manohar Lal reaffirmed the government’s resolve to build on the momentum of SBM-U 2.0 and ensure it becomes a sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented movement. He stated that sanitation must be seen not just as an infrastructure concern but as a reflection of societal progress and civic maturity.
“Our objective is not just clean streets or better waste management but cleaner minds and greater ownership of our surroundings,” Lal said, calling for every citizen to play a part in shaping clean and liveable cities.
The meeting ended with a consensus that SBM-U 2.0 has laid a solid foundation, but achieving universal sanitation goals will require continued political will, active citizen participation, and technological innovation.
With urban India expanding rapidly, the next phase of the mission will focus on institutionalizing sanitation governance, ensuring equity in service delivery, and making cleanliness a shared national value.
