Chandigarh’s Focus on Making City Cleaner

Chandigarh that serves as the joint capital of two of India’s advanced states, Punjab and Haryana, has taken a number of steps to make the city cleaner and safer. It is a Union Territory governed directly by the Union Government and not a part of either Punjab or Haryana. The city bagged two SKOCH Orders-of-Merit and two awards in Silver category.

Key Achievements

Municipal Corporation, Chandigarh has taken innovative measures to make the city cleaner. The women functionaries of Area Level Federations under Social Mobilisation and Institutional Development of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM) at Municipal Corporation Chandigarh has extended their support in an innovative initiative to Open Defecation Free (ODF) campaign under Swachh Bharat Mission of the Ministry of Urban Development in order to get the city declared Open Defecation Free and enhance overall cleanliness. In this initiative, all the Area Level Federations have come forward to take social action, as a call of the moment to make their poverty stricken community free from open defecation by the community person in ignorance, lacking awareness and behavioural issues.

The State Urban Poverty Alleviation cell implementing DAY-NULM at Municipal Corporation has identified 30 “SWACHHA GRAHI” from more than 15 EWS colonies among 15 Area Level Federations established under Social Mobilisation and Institutional Development component of DAY-NULM and trained them by building their capacity and empowerment on becoming the local community ambassadors to lead the Open Defecation Free campaign. The Corporation has also introduced innovative Solid Waste Management system.