Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Punjab cleans up big in 2025: 59 ULBs garbage-free, 40.78 lakh MT legacy waste cleared; Bathinda wins Swachh Shahar Award
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, December 29, 2025: Punjab recorded strong gains in urban governance and solid waste management during 2025, with 40.78 lakh metric tonnes of legacy waste cleared across 131 Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Municipal Corporation Bathinda bagging the Swachh Shahar Award in the Swachh Survekshan conducted by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Local Government Minister Dr Ravjot Singh said on Monday.
Sharing detailed figures, Dr Ravjot Singh said 25 ULBs were certified as Garbage Free Star-1, one ULB as Star-3, 46 as Pani+, 53 as ODF++, 43 as ODF+ and 22 as ODF, reflecting significant improvement in sanitation and cleanliness standards across the state.
He said that under Punjab’s legacy waste disposal initiative, out of a total 84.09 lakh metric tonnes of old waste, more than 48 percent (40.78 lakh MT) has already been scientifically processed, while a time-bound plan is in place to manage the remaining 43.31 lakh MT in 35 ULBs by April 2027.
Focusing on fresh waste management, the Minister said Punjab generates 4,008 tonnes per day (TPD) of solid waste, of which 3,243 TPD (81 percent) of wet waste is currently being processed through composting, bio-methanation and structured recycling systems. To support this, 9,812 tricycles and 3,162 mechanical vehicles have been deployed, along with 8,436 compost pits and 276 material recovery facilities.
Highlighting urban infrastructure growth, Dr Ravjot Singh said 71 Smart City projects worth Rs 769.18 crore have been completed in Ludhiana, 19 projects worth Rs 580 crore in Amritsar, and 56 projects worth Rs 771.57 crore in Jalandhar, while several others remain under execution. In Sultanpur Lodhi, six projects worth Rs 29.57 crore have been completed and 14 projects worth Rs 136.28 crore are under progress. Additionally, Rs 850 crore worth of infrastructure works have been carried out in 166 ULBs through PIDB funding since March 2022.
On green mobility, the Minister said 1,200 diesel auto-rickshaws have been replaced with electric autos in Amritsar under the RAAHI scheme, while 200 pink e-autos have been provided to women at a 90 percent subsidy. To further strengthen zero-emission transport, 447 e-buses are being procured for major cities including Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Patiala and the SAS Nagar (Mohali) cluster.
Dr Ravjot Singh also noted that doorstep delivery of municipal services has been successfully rolled out, reducing the need for citizens to visit offices. He added that GIS-based digitisation of water supply and sewerage networks has been completed for 16 AMRUT towns and Sultanpur Lodhi, with sewerage mapping finalised for 103 ULBs and water supply mapping for 105 ULBs. Punjab has also received Rs 32 crore as incentive under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) 2024–25 scheme.
The Minister said these figures clearly demonstrate the CM Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government’s focus on measurable outcomes, cleaner cities and citizen-centric urban governance.