Manohar Lal Khattar Launches PRAGATI-50 to Build 50 Model Cities for Urban Cleanliness

1 October 2026National

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched PRAGATI-50 in New Delhi on 30 September 2026, picking 50 cities across 24 States as benchmark models for urban sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0. Each city will draw up KPI-driven micro-level action plans covering solid waste management, used-water management, public-toilet upkeep and citizen engagement, with the aim of creating replicable models, ensuring scientific waste processing, eliminating legacy dumpsites and driving behavioural change. The initiative is designed as a live blueprint for India's remaining 4,800-plus statutory towns, shifting municipalities from compliance-led cleaning towards circular-economy management.

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Swachh Bharat Mission was launched on 2 October 2014; its urban second phase, SBM-Urban 2.0, began in October 2021 | The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs also runs the Smart Cities Mission and AMRUT | Swachh Survekshan is MoHUA's annual cleanliness survey of Indian cities

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