Chandigarh’s Municipal Corporation (MC) has launched a high-impact, community-driven campaign under the banner of UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh, as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. This campaign is unique: instead of being purely top-down, it is being led by self-help groups (SHGs) in densely populated colonies. With door-to-door outreach covering over 5,600 households in Sectors 25 and 26, the initiative aims to foster behavioural change around waste segregation, reduce single-use plastics, and encourage residents to engage with civic technology via the “I’m CHD” mobile app. Launched by Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla and MC Commissioner Amit Kumar, this drive signals a new, more participatory phase of municipal sanitation in the city.
Why the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh Matters
A Shift to Community-Driven Sanitation
Traditionally, cleanliness drives in cities have been government-led — relying on municipal workers, sweepers, and scheduled services. But the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh marks a shift: self-help groups are being directly involved in engaging with households. This is a powerful move because SHGs often have deep trust within the community, especially in high-density areas. By empowering SHGs, the MC is not just cleaning, but building community ownership of sanitation.
Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla emphasized this point during the launch, calling the initiative “a people’s movement.” Such participation is crucial for sustainable behaviour change, rather than temporary or cosmetic improvements.
Aligning with Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0
The drive is part of the larger Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0, the Union Government’s renewed push for urban sanitation, improved waste management, and citizen engagement. By aligning with SBM 2.0, Chandigarh is reinforcing its commitment to national goals, while tailoring actions to local realities.
Building on Chandigarh’s Cleanliness Credibility
Chandigarh has already made notable progress: in Swachh Survekshan 2024, the city secured second place in its category, thanks in part to its community-led sanitation models and sustained citizen engagement. The new UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh strengthens this legacy, signaling that MC isn’t resting on past success but is pushing for deeper, long‑term change.
What Exactly Is the Drive About?
Target Area & Scale
- The campaign is being piloted in Sector 25 (Janta Colony) and Sector 26 (Bapu Dham Colony) — both high-density neighbourhoods.
- It covers 5,609 households, a significant number for a targeted pilot.
- 20 SHG members, organized in pairs, will go door to door to spread awareness.
Key Campaign Themes
The SHG volunteers will engage households on several critical themes:
- Waste Segregation: Encouraging separation of waste into four categories — wet waste, dry waste, hazardous, and recyclable.
- Reduction of Single-Use Plastics: Educating residents on minimizing plastic waste and shifting to reusable alternatives.
- Clean Surroundings: Promoting general cleanliness, proper disposal, and maintenance of public and private areas.
- Use of “I’m CHD” Mobile App: Encouraging citizens to use the app to report sanitation issues, request services, and track civic action.
Methods of Outreach
- Door-to-Door Awareness: SHG teams visiting each household to talk, distribute pamphlets, and answer questions.
- Information, Education & Communication (IEC) Material: Pamphlets and awareness literature will be distributed to explain segregation, cleanliness, and app usage.
- Supervision and Support: The Sanitation Department of MC Chandigarh, under the NULM (National Urban Livelihoods Mission), is supervising the SHG teams.
Impact Assessment & Monitoring
One of the most promising aspects of the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh is that the MC is not running it just for optics. They plan a detailed impact assessment, tracking metrics such as:
- Increase in segregated waste collection
- Reduction in mixed waste
- Number of challans (fines) issued following awareness campaigns
- Feedback and suggestions for further improvement.
This data-driven approach will help MC understand what’s working, where more effort is needed, and whether this pilot can be scaled to other sectors.
Key Stakeholders & Their Roles
Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
- The backbone of this campaign: women-led (mostly) SHGs are conducting the house visits.
- Their deep ties in the community give them legitimacy and trust.
- By being part of this drive, they also get empowered, possibly creating a longer-term civic role for SHGs beyond just sanitation.
Municipal Corporation Chandigarh (MC)
- Provides manpower support, supervision, and aligns the sanitation machinery with the SHG outreach.
- Coordinates with the Sanitation Department to ensure field-level coordination and data collection.
- Oversees the impact assessment to evaluate the campaign’s success and plan scalability.
Leadership: Mayor & Commissioner
- Mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla: Played a key role in launching the drive, emphasizing it as “people’s movement.”
- MC Commissioner Amit Kumar: Stressed the need for active citizen participation and civic responsibility.
Residents of Sector 25 & 26
- Their cooperation is crucial: households will receive SHG teams, listen to them, adopt waste practices, and ideally use the “I’m CHD” app.
- Their feedback (through app usage, behaviour change, and the impact assessment) will influence how the campaign evolves and whether it is expanded.
Why Focus on Sectors 25 & 26?
High-Density Challenges
Sectors 25 and 26 are known to be densely populated. These areas likely face more acute sanitation challenges:
- High volume of waste from homes
- Mixed waste disposal habits (especially where segregation isn’t strictly followed)
- Limited space for waste bins or proper disposal, increasing the risk of littering
By targeting these areas, MC is addressing hotspots where behavior change can have a disproportionately positive effect.
Pilot Area for Larger Rollout
This UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh campaign is explicitly a pilot. If successful, MC plans to scale it to other sectors. Piloting in high-density areas first ensures that if the model works here, it can be replicated elsewhere — maximizing impact.
Building Trust in Underserved Communities
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh’s SHG-led outreach in these neighborhoods builds trust. In many densely populated areas, informal networks, local leaders, and SHGs are more influential than formal institutions. By using SHGs, MC leverages existing community structures — significantly boosting participation and long-term adoption.
Role of the “I’m CHD” Mobile App
What Is the App?
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh promotes the “I’m CHD” mobile app, a civic engagement platform that residents can use to report sanitation issues, lodge complaints, and track the resolution of their requests. It empowers citizens to be active participants in maintaining city cleanliness.
How the Campaign Ties into the App
- SHG volunteers are educating residents about the app during their door-to-door visits.
- They explain how to download, register, and raise tickets for issues like garbage dumping, littering, uncollected waste, etc.
- By promoting the app, the campaign ensures that awareness is not limited to the one-time visit — residents can continuously engage.
Real-World Feedback on the App
There is some public feedback (from Chandigarh users) about the effectiveness of similar civic apps:
“I’ve been using this Swachhata app … they have to close the ticket within 24 hours! … They have to post before and after photos.”
While not exactly the “I’m CHD” app, these testimonials show that app-based civic reporting can work, and citizens are seeing real responses.
However, there are also dissenting voices:
“They keep on updating it to resolved without actually cleaning.”
This underscores the need for accountability and monitoring — something that the SHG‑led campaign could help strengthen, by connecting app engagement to on-ground behaviour change.
Challenges & Risks
Behaviour Change Is Hard
Changing how households segregate waste, reduce plastic usage, and maintain cleanliness during the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh requires more than information — it demands sustained behavioural change. A few house visits may not be enough to transform habits.
Sustaining SHG Engagement
- SHGs need to be incentivized (financially or socially) to continue their work long-term.
- Monitoring attendance, motivation, and performance of SHG members will be critical.
Measuring Impact Reliably
While MC plans an impact assessment, there are risks:
- Data collection may be inconsistent.
- Behavioural changes (like proper segregation) are harder to measure than easier metrics like number of tickets raised.
- Reduction in mixed waste may not directly reflect the quality of segregation.
App Adoption Barriers
- Not every resident may have a smartphone or be tech-savvy enough to use the “I’m CHD” app.
- Even for those who do, awareness does not guarantee usage.
- For the app to be effective, MC needs to ensure prompt response and visible action; otherwise, trust may erode.
Scaling Risk
If the pilot of the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh is successful but the model is too resource-intensive (involving significant manpower, close supervision, and continuous IEC), scaling to other sectors may be challenging. MC must plan carefully for resource allocation, training, and long-term sustainability.
Why This Is a Big Deal for Chandigarh
Civic Empowerment & Ownership
By involving SHGs and residents directly, the campaign shifts responsibility from being just a government function to a shared civic duty. This builds ownership, making cleanliness a collective mission rather than a top-down order.
Women’s Participation & Empowerment
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh involves SHGs, which often consist of women, empowering them in a meaningful way. They are not just passive beneficiaries but active change agents. Their participation in such civic campaigns enhances their visibility, leadership, and voice in community development.
Technology as an Enabler
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh positions the “I’m CHD” app at the center, linking on-ground efforts with digital governance. By promoting its use, the drive combines traditional door-to-door outreach with modern civic tech, making municipal services more accessible and responsive.
Potential to Scale
If the pilot of the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh proves successful, MC could replicate it across other sectors of the city. Over time, this model can become a blueprint combining SHG engagement, app-based citizen reporting, and IEC — a holistic approach for sustainable sanitation.
Comparison with Other MC Sanitation Initiatives
To understand the broader context, it’s helpful to compare this drive with other sanitation efforts by the MC:
- The MC launched “Swachhata Ki Karyashala” in schools, engaging children in cleanliness drives, composting, and source segregation.
- Under Swachh Bharat Mission Urban 2.0, MC is revamping public toilets in several sectors to become “aspirational toilets.”
- Previous mass campaigns like “Swachh Cloth Bag Langar” distributed 5,000 cloth bags made by SHGs to reduce plastic consumption.
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh complements these efforts but stands out due to its community-led, household-level engagement, making sanitation a participatory and sustainable initiative.
Success Factors & What Can Make It Work
Here are some key factors that will determine whether this drive truly succeeds:
Trust and Credibility
The SHGs leading the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh must be trusted by local communities. Their effectiveness depends on how well they communicate, listen, and maintain a visible presence.
Effective IEC Material
Pamphlets and awareness content should be simple, locally relevant, and actionable. Households should feel motivated, not overwhelmed, by the information provided.
Responsive Governance
When residents use the “I’m CHD” app during the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh, swift and transparent responses from MC are essential to maintain trust in the system.
Continuous Monitoring & Assessment
The campaign’s planned impact assessment must be executed properly. Regular data collection and analysis will help tweak strategy, fix gaps, and enable scaling to other sectors.
Sustained SHG Engagement
SHGs need ongoing support — through capacity building, guidance, and possibly incentives — to maintain effective outreach over months, not just weeks.
Resident Participation
While SHGs can lead the initiative, residents must actively participate by segregating waste, reducing plastic usage, and using the app. Their engagement is critical to the campaign’s success.
Scalability Strategy
From the outset, MC must plan how to scale the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh model to other neighborhoods, considering budgeting, training, partnerships, and logistics.
How Citizens Can Support UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh
As a resident of Chandigarh, here’s how you can actively engage with and support the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh:
Participate Actively
When SHG volunteers visit your home, listen, ask questions, and apply what they teach about waste segregation, reducing plastic use, and app usage.
Use the “I’m CHD” App
Download the app, report sanitation issues, and track resolutions. Your timely feedback ensures the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh functions effectively.
Spread the Word
Talk to your neighbours, especially in Sectors 25 and 26, encouraging them to adopt good practices and cooperate with the campaign.
Volunteer (if Possible)
If passionate, explore ways to support SHG efforts through RWAs or local community groups, amplifying the drive’s impact.
Monitor Progress
Keep track of how the pilot evolves, share your experiences, provide constructive feedback, and highlight areas for improvement to help the campaign succeed.
Potential Long-Term Impact
If successful, the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh could deliver powerful long-term benefits:
Long-Term Benefits of UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh
If successful, the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh could deliver significant long-term benefits:
Behavioral Shift
Over time, households may permanently adopt better sanitation habits — including waste segregation, reduced plastic use, and maintaining cleanliness.
Civic Participation
This model positions citizens as active agents of change rather than passive recipients, potentially inspiring similar campaigns in other civic domains.
Institutional Trust
When residents see app-based complaints through the “I’m CHD” app being addressed, trust in the municipal corporation grows.
Scalable Model
The pilot can be replicated across Chandigarh, making the city a showcase for SHG-led, tech-enabled cleanliness drives.
Recognition & Awards
Sustained success may help Chandigarh maintain or improve its ranking in national assessments such as Swachh Survekshan.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh?
A: It’s a sanitation campaign by the Municipal Corporation Chandigarh under Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, led by self-help groups (SHGs) to engage households in high-density areas (Sectors 25 & 26) for better waste segregation, reducing single-use plastics, and promoting the “I’m CHD” app.
Q2. Why are SHGs involved in this drive?
A: SHGs are trusted community actors. By involving them, the MC is leveraging their local reach and credibility to educate households, drive behaviour change, and build ownership for cleanliness.
Q3. How many households will this campaign cover?
A: The pilot targets 5,609 households in Sector 25 and Sector 26.
Q4. What messaging will SHG volunteers share?
A: They’ll talk about waste segregation, avoiding single-use plastics, maintaining clean surroundings, and how to use the “I’m CHD” app.
Q5. What is the “I’m CHD” app and how is it relevant?
A: It’s a citizen engagement app that allows residents to report sanitation-related issues, track their tickets, and stay involved with MC’s cleanliness efforts. SHG volunteers will encourage its use.
Conclusion
The UT MC Swachhata Drive Chandigarh is more than a cleanliness campaign; it is a transformative step toward community-led sanitation and civic participation. By empowering SHGs, engaging residents, and integrating technology like the “I’m CHD” app, this initiative demonstrates how citizens and local government can collaborate for a cleaner, healthier Chandigarh.
Stay informed about the latest updates, tips, and citizen initiatives in Chandigarh by visiting Chandigarhut.in — your go-to source for news, insights, and ways to get involved in making our city cleaner and better.
