CM Mann’s Punjab achieves solid waste management milestones, Smart City development, e-vehicles rollout, and improved urban services in 2025.

In terms of solid waste management, Punjab has performed exceptionally well in 2025. In the Swachh Survekshan, which was carried out by the Indian government’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Municipal Corporation Bathinda was given the Swachh Shahar Award. In a same vein, 25 ULBs have received certification as Garbage Free Star-1, 01 ULBs as Garbage Free Star-3, 46 ULBs as Pani+, 53 ULBs as ODF++, 43 ULBs as ODF+, and 22 ULBs as ODF.

Punjab has managed old waste in 131 ULBs under the state’s legacy waste disposal initiative, according to Punjab Local Government Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh, who also provided details about the actions taken by the Local Government Department this year by the State Government, which is headed by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann. As a result, 40.78 lakh metric tons of the 84.09 lakh metric tons of old garbage have already been managed, and a strategy has been created to handle the remaining 43.31 lakh metric tons of rubbish (35 ULBs) by April 2027.

According to Dr. Ravjot Singh, significant focus was given to the management of fresh waste in 2025, with efforts made to enhance door-to-door garbage collection, source segregation, and ULB processing. He explained that of the 4008 TPD of solid waste, 3243 TPD (81%) of the wet waste is being treated through composting, bio-methanation, and channelization of the dry trash, which waste collectors and scrap dealers can recycle.

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The Minister went on to say that 3162 mechanical vehicles and 9812 tricycles have been used for the transportation and collection of rubbish. Additionally, 276 material recovery facilities and 8436 compost pits (aerobic honeycomb) have been built for waste processing.

The Cabinet Minister stated that the Smart Cities Mission is currently working on several projects in Sultanpur Lodhi, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Ludhiana. Eight projects totaling Rs. 138.05 crore are now being developed as part of the Ludhiana Smart City Project, while 71 projects totaling Rs. 769.18 crore have already been finished. He further revealed that 10 projects totaling Rs. 245 crore are currently being developed, while 19 projects totaling Rs. 580 crore have already been finished as part of the Amritsar Smart City Project.

Similarly, Jalandhar Smart City has finished 56 projects totaling Rs. 771.57 crore, and there are currently four projects totaling Rs. 162.88 crore in development. According to him, six initiatives totaling Rs. 29.57 crore have been finished under the Sultanpur Lodhi Smart City mission, and fourteen projects totaling Rs. 136.28 crore are under underway. In addition to the aforementioned, he said that since March 2022, 166 ULBs had undergone infrastructural projects valued at Rs. 850 crore, funded by the Punjab government through PIDB.

In addition, development projects totaling Rs. 1700 crore were carried out in 166 ULBs using MC funds, while Rs. 450 crore were finished in five Municipal Corporations and forty-nine Municipal Councils.

Dr. Ravjot Singh also noted that 1200 outdated diesel autorickshaws had been swapped out for new electric vehicles as part of the Revival of Auto-Rickshaws (RAAHI) program, which aims to lower air pollution in the holy city of Amritsar. In addition, 200 pink e-autos have been provided to women recipients at a 90% discount in order to empower women in the city. 447 e-buses are being purchased for the state’s major cities, Amritsar (100), Jalandhar (97), Ludhiana (100), Patiala (50), and SAS Nagar (Mohali) Cluster (100), in order to ensure an effective public transportation system with zero emissions. This will enhance the public transportation system and lessen reliance on private transportation in the state’s major cities.

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According to Dr. Ravjot Singh, the Local Government Department has effectively begun door-step service delivery, which has improved public convenience. The primary Municipal Corporation services are now available without the need to go to government offices, he said.

The GIS-based digitalization of the water supply and sewerage networks for 16 Amrut towns and Sultanpur Lodhi has been finished, the Local Government Minister added. Under the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) 2024-25’ initiative, he reported that an incentive of Rs. 32 crore had been obtained. He reported that the water supply mapping for 105 ULBs and the sewage mapping for 103 ULBs were completed.