Patna : Patna and Gaya have been selected among 50 cities to be developed as model clean cities under the Centre’s Pragati-50 initiative, launched under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.
The initiative, led by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, aims to improve sanitation, solid waste management and used-water management in the selected cities and bring them in line with prescribed cleanliness standards.
Under the plan, waste from major markets, railway stations and bus stands will be collected twice a day, while additional cleanliness measures will be introduced at crowded public and tourist locations.
Real-Time Monitoring Of Waste Management
A dedicated dashboard has been created on the Swachhatam Portal to monitor sanitation work in the two cities.
The system is intended to provide real-time information on waste collection and disposal, allowing authorities to track the progress of sanitation operations.
Central government officials and third-party agencies will also be assigned responsibility for conducting ground-level inspections of the work.
The action plan for both cities has been divided into three phases: a six-month short-term target, a six-to-12-month medium-term target and a 12-to-24-month long-term target.
Night Sweeping At Markets And Tourist Sites
Special attention will be given to major markets, tourist sites, railway stations and bus stands, where night sweeping will be introduced.
The plan targets two rounds of waste collection during the day in these high-footfall areas. Long-standing garbage accumulations will also be removed.
Posters and hanging wires will be cleared from public spaces, while walls will be decorated with paintings depicting local art and culture.
The plan also focuses on cleaning rivers, ghats, ponds and major drains in Patna and Gaya. Cleaning of sewer lines and septic tanks is proposed to be made fully mechanised.
No Separate Budget For Pragati-50
According to the ministry, no separate budget will be released for Pragati-50.
The projects will instead be financed through multiple sources, including Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0, 16th Finance Commission grants, the PPP model and CSR funds.
A sanitation app will also be used to facilitate the quick resolution of citizens’ cleanliness-related complaints.
DM, Municipal Commissioner To Lead City Teams
A high-level district team will be formed in both Patna and Gaya to oversee implementation.
The District Magistrate and Municipal Commissioner will jointly lead the team, which will also include representatives of the State Pollution Control Board.
The teams will prepare detailed action plans for their respective cities and oversee their implementation.
At the state level, the Principal Secretary of the Urban Development Department will review the progress every 15 days. At the Centre, the initiative will be reviewed at ministerial level every two months.
Patna Repairs More Than 12,500 Street Lights
Separately, the Patna Municipal Corporation has intensified its drive to repair faulty street lights across the city.
According to the civic body, between 26 and 31 teams are working in different areas to repair faulty lights, wires, switches and other technical problems.
More than 12,500 street lights have been restored so far, with an average of 500–550 lights being repaired each day.
During the campaign, more than 2,300 new street lights have been installed, while technical problems involving wires, switches and other components have been fixed in more than 10,000 lights.
The corporation said lights that repeatedly develop faults are now being replaced instead of repeatedly repaired.
Ghats And Major Roads Also Get Better Lighting
PMC teams have repaired faulty street lights along the approach roads to Bhadra Ghat and Mahavir Ghat, improving lighting for people travelling to and from the riverfront areas at night.
Street-light-related problems have also been resolved along the stretch from the Divisional Commissioner’s office to Rajapur Bridge.
Other areas covered by the campaign include Officers’ Flats, Chhajjubagh, Bhattacharya Road, Buddha Marg and the stretch from Gay Ghat Gurudwara to the Civil Court.
PMC Focuses On Complaints And Field Surveys
The 26–31 teams are addressing street-light complaints received from residents while also conducting field inspections to identify faulty lights independently.
Municipal Commissioner Yashpal Meena is regularly reviewing the progress of the campaign.
The combined focus on sanitation, waste management and civic infrastructure is aimed at improving Patna’s public spaces as the city moves towards the model clean-city standards under the Pragati-50 initiative.
