Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar and Puri have been selected among 50 cities across India under the PRAGATI 50 Initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0).
The selection recognises Odisha’s efforts towards strengthening urban sanitation and scientific waste management and will focus on developing Bhubaneswar and Puri as Model Sanitation Cities.
The initiative aims to accelerate work in solid waste management, used water management, sanitation, cleanliness and citizen participation through focused monitoring, structured handholding and faster implementation of identified interventions.
The 50 selected cities come from 24 States and Union Territories and are expected to serve as models of good practices for other urban centres.
The virtual national launch of PRAGATI 50 was held on September 29 under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar. During the programme, the Union Minister interacted with Odisha’s Housing & Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra. Additional Chief Secretary of the Housing & Urban Development Department, Usha Padhee, also participated in the virtual meeting.
During the interaction, Mahapatra highlighted Odisha’s ongoing waste-to-value initiatives. He referred to the establishment of Compressed Bio-Gas plants in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri with support through Oil India’s CSR.
Waste-to-Charcoal initiatives are also being pursued in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, according to the department.
Mahapatra reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to implementing PRAGATI 50 in close coordination with MoHUA, the concerned Urban Local Bodies, and in accordance with the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures prescribed by the Ministry.
The inclusion of Bhubaneswar and Puri is significant as both are major urban centres, with Bhubaneswar serving as the State capital and Puri being a major cultural and religious destination that attracts large numbers of visitors.
The initiative is expected to provide an opportunity to further strengthen sanitation systems, improve waste management and enhance citizen participation in both cities.
The Housing & Urban Development Department, in coordination with the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Puri Municipal Corporation and SBM-U teams, will undertake focused interventions and monitor progress against defined Key Performance Indicators.
Through PRAGATI 50, Odisha aims to further strengthen efforts towards cleaner cities and scientific urban development while developing practices that can be replicated by other urban centres.
