Chandigarh, September 3:- Punjab Governor and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria, today launched the “Swachh Ward Ranking 2026” initiative of the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, calling for collective efforts by citizens, elected representatives, officials, sanitation workers, RWAs, market associations, educational institutions and other stakeholders to make cleanliness a sustained public movement.

Addressing the gathering, Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria said that the Swachh Ward Ranking 2026 is not merely a competition among wards, but an initiative aimed at creating a new culture of accountability, public participation, healthy competition and scientific waste management in Chandigarh. He said that the identity of the “City Beautiful” is defined not only by its architecture, greenery, wide roads and planned sectors, but equally by cleanliness, civic discipline and responsible behaviour towards public spaces. He emphasised that Chandigarh’s beauty is a legacy, while preserving and enhancing it is the responsibility of the present generation.

The Governor said that a city does not become clean on its own and sustained cleanliness requires the combined efforts of the Municipal Corporation, sanitation workers and citizens. He urged residents to make source segregation, responsible waste disposal and cleanliness of public spaces a daily habit.

Referring to the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, he said cleanliness must move beyond being a government programme and become a personal value and social behaviour. He also called for greater adoption of the principles of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, promoting composting, recycling, reuse and the concept of Waste to Wealth and Circular Economy, with the ultimate objective of minimising waste reaching final disposal sites.

Sh. Kataria highlighted that the Swachh Ward Ranking would bring the cleanliness assessment down to the ward, neighbourhood, market, park, street and household level. He appreciated the transparent, objective and evidence-based assessment framework and evaluation parameters, covering door-to-door waste collection, source segregation, cleanliness of public spaces, management of bulk waste generators, control of single-use plastic, public toilets, zero-waste initiatives, scientific waste management and citizen participation. He said the ranking should measure the entire waste-management chain—from generation, collection and segregation to transportation, processing, recycling, reuse and final disposal—and should be based on actual outcomes rather than photographs or paperwork alone.

He directed the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh to explore possibilities for conducting the swachh ward rankings two times in a year if not possible for conducting it monthly.

The Governor urged councillors to act as the “key facilitators” of the campaign in their respective wards and bring together officials, sanitation workers, RWAs, market associations, schools, youth organisations and citizens. He also called upon schools and colleges to turn students into “Swachhta Ambassadors” who can carry the message of responsible waste management to their homes and communities. Appreciating the role of sanitation workers, he stressed that their dignity, safety, training, protective equipment and health protection must be ensured, while mechanisation and modern technology should be promoted for hazardous sanitation work.

Emphasising the importance of public health, Sh. Kataria said cleanliness, environment and health must be viewed together. He called for clean and accessible public toilets, zero-waste events, reduction of food wastage and greater responsibility among markets, institutions, residential groups, hotels, restaurants and other bulk waste generators. He said that the real reward of a clean ward is not merely a ranking or financial incentive, but clean streets, beautiful parks, hygienic markets, a healthier environment and a ward of which every citizen can be proud.

The Governor also appreciated the proposed incentive mechanism for the top-performing Platinum Wards, under which the first, second and third ranked wards would be eligible for proposed development grants of ₹50 lakh, ₹30 lakh and ₹20 lakh, respectively. He said that the initiative should encourage healthy competition as well as replication of successful practices across wards.

City Mayor Sh. Saurabh Joshi said that the launch of Swachh Ward Ranking 2026 marks an important step towards making cleanliness a ward-level people’s movement. He said that every ward has its own challenges and the new ranking system would encourage councillors, residents, RWAs, market associations and local stakeholders to work together to identify problems and implement practical solutions. He appealed to citizens to treat their streets, parks, markets and public spaces as an extension of their own homes and make cleanliness a matter of civic pride.

He said that the one month competition started from today and will end on 2nd October, 2026 with the announcement of winners and award giving ceremony.

The Mayor said that Chandigarh has always been recognised for its planned development, greenery and civic infrastructure, and the collective responsibility now is to further strengthen this identity through scientific waste management and active citizen participation. He appreciated the efforts of the Municipal Corporation in introducing a transparent and result-oriented ranking mechanism and said that the success of the initiative would ultimately depend on the active participation of every citizen. He called upon all councillors to lead cleanliness efforts in their respective wards and work closely with sanitation workers and community organisations.

Sh. Amit Kumar, IAS, Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Chandigarh, while welcoming the Chief Guest, Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria, and other dignitaries, said that the Municipal Corporation is committed to making cleanliness measurable, transparent, participatory and outcome-oriented. Elaborating on the Swachh Ward Ranking 2026, he said that all wards would be assessed through a structured framework of 1,000 marks and 55 parameters, covering the complete spectrum of sanitation and solid waste management. The initiative would help identify gaps at the ward level, promote healthy competition and facilitate sharing and replication of best practices among wards.

The Commissioner also highlighted the School Star Awards initiative, aimed at recognising and encouraging schools that demonstrate exemplary commitment towards cleanliness, waste segregation, responsible waste management, environmental sustainability and student participation. He said that the 1st position holder schools have been awarded with Rs. 51000, 2nd position holder schools with Rs. 31000 and 3rd position holder schools have been awarded with Rs. 21000 cash prizes. He said that children and young people are important agents of behavioural change and the Corporation intends to strengthen its partnership with educational institutions to develop a generation that understands cleanliness not merely as a civic duty but as a way of life. He thanked all stakeholders for their cooperation and reiterated that MCC would continue working towards making Chandigarh a benchmark for scientific and sustainable urban waste management.

Area Councillor Sh. Yogesh Dhingra, while extending the vote of thanks, expressed gratitude to the Chief Guest, Governor and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, Sh. Gulab Chand Kataria, for gracing the occasion and encouraging the initiative. He appreciated the Municipal Corporation’s efforts in introducing the Swachh Ward Ranking 2026 and School Star Awards and said that such initiatives would motivate wards, schools and citizens to adopt better cleanliness practices. He also thanked all elected representatives, officers, sanitation workers, RWAs, market associations, schools and community organisations for their active participation and support.

The programme was attended by Sh. Mandip Singh Brar, IAS, Home Secretary-cum-Secretary, Local Government, UT Chandigarh; Smt. Suman Sharma, Deputy Mayor; other Municipal Councillors; senior officers of the Municipal Corporation; representatives of local Self-Help Groups; office-bearers of RWAs and MWAs; school teachers and students, besides other stakeholders.