Kolkata, 30 May 2026

 

Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Shri Manohar Lal today launched the Swachha App for West Bengal in Kolkata at a programme attended by West Bengal chief minister Shri Suvendu Adhikari; Minister-in-Charge of Municipal Affairs, West Bengal, Smt Agnimitra Paul; Secretary, Ministry of Power, Shri Pankaj Agarwal; Chairman, Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), Shri Suresh Kumar, and other dignitaries.

 

Launching the app, Shri Manohar Lal highlighted that sanitation and waste management remain among the most important pillars of urban development. He noted that the waste management cycle involves door-to-door collection, segregation and scientific processing of waste, and that lakhs of tonnes of waste are expected to be processed annually through improved systems and infrastructure.

 

The Union Minister said the newly launched Swachha App would empower citizens to actively participate in maintaining cleanliness. Residents will be able to photograph garbage accumulation or sanitation-related issues in their localities and upload them through the app. The complaints will be geo-tagged and forwarded to the concerned municipal authorities for prompt action.

 

He further informed that municipal officials will upload before-and-after photographs of the cleaned site, while citizens will also have access to a feedback mechanism to evaluate the response. Shri Manohar Lal recalled that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission from the Red Fort 11 years ago with the vision of making India free from open defecation and ensuring a cleaner living environment for all.

 

Addressing the gathering, Shri Suvendu Adhikari stated that the pilot phase of the Swachha App will initially cover 10 municipalities, including Asansol, Durgapur, Basirhat, Pujali, Tufanganj, Contai, Krishnanagar, Baidyabati and Madhyamgram, before being expanded to all municipalities of West Bengal.

 

He said that the initiative reflects a commitment to rebuilding West Bengal in line with the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the goal of a Viksit Bharat by 2047.

 

Highlighting central government support for the state, Shri Adhikari referred to allocations of ₹39,000 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission, ₹2,103 crore under the National Health Mission, and ₹976 crore under Ayushman Bharat. He stated that West Bengal possesses immense opportunities in the sectors of urban development and power, and assured that all central government schemes would be implemented effectively.

 

Shri Adhikari also emphasised the importance of sustainable transportation and environmental protection, stating that the expansion of railway and metro projects in West Bengal would contribute significantly to reducing pollution and improving urban mobility.

 

He highlighted the importance of the Pradhan Mantri Surya Ghar Yojana, particularly for rural households, and expressed confidence that cooperation between the state administration and DVC would strengthen irrigation infrastructure and support agricultural development.

 

Speaking on the occasion, Smt Agnimitra Paul said that the objective of the initiative is to create a cleaner, greener and smarter Bengal. She emphasised that environmental sustainability and improvement in the quality of life can only be achieved through coordinated efforts among governments, institutions and citizens.

 

She said the vision of “Swachha Bangla” aligns with the broader goals of Sonar Bangla and Viksit Bharat, and reiterated the commitment to building modern, environmentally sustainable urban centres through partnership and shared responsibility.

 

The launch of the Swachha App marks an important step towards strengthening citizen participation in urban governance and advancing the objectives of the Swachh Bharat Mission through technology-enabled solutions.

 

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