MoHUA Launches ₹1,000 Crore Fund to Combat Solid Waste Management Crisis in Hill and Himalayan Cities
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Institutions: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA) | NITI Aayog
The two-day National Urban Conclave 2025 concluded in New Delhi with a focus on India’s roadmap for building inclusive, resilient, and well-governed cities, centered on the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047. Deliberations focused on three key themes: urban governance, circular economy, and the housing ecosystem (specifically expanding affordable housing supply).
Key Fund Announcement: Minister of State of Housing and Urban Affairs, Shri Tokhan Sahu, announced the launch of a ₹1,000 crore Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund. This fund is being established under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 to accelerate solid waste management in these ecologically sensitive regions, recognizing their unique needs.
Digital Governance and Research: To promote effective urban governance, MoHUA launched the IIRS Sankalan App to make urban surveys faster and smarter through GIS-based planning, geo-tagging, and on-site editing. Additionally, the Ministry launched the Centre for Public Policy on Habitat and Housing at the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) to build a strong knowledge base and promote research supporting affordable housing.
International Engagement: The Secretary of MoHUA announced that India will host the BRICS Urban Forum and the Urban Tech Expo in April 2026, reinforcing India’s role in global urban leadership.
The Conclave’s actionable insights provide a strategic roadmap for integrating climate resilience and sustainability into India’s rapid urbanization process. The dedicated ₹1,000 crore fund specifically addresses the critical solid waste management issues in the vulnerable Himalayan regions, reflecting a decisive move to align environmental protection with national missions like Swachh Bharat and Viksit Bharat.
What is the ‘Circular Economy’ model in urban governance?→ The ‘Circular Economy’ model is a strategic framework discussed at the Conclave that focuses on turning waste streams into valuable resources. By promoting this model, cities aim to minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and ensure that circularity is scaled up as a coherent policy to boost environmental and economic sustainability.
What is Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0? → The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0) is the continuation of India’s flagship sanitation campaign, launched on October 1, 2021, with the overall objective of creating “Garbage-Free Cities” by 2026. The Mission has a massive financial outlay of ₹1,41,600 crores for the 2021-22 to 2025-26 period. SBM-U 2.0 expands the focus beyond the Phase I goal of eliminating open defecation (ODF) to achieve comprehensive waste and water management. Its primary components include achieving 100% scientific processing of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in all cities, managing used water (including grey and blackwater) so that no untreated wastewater pollutes water bodies, and sustaining the ODF status with ODF+ and ODF++ certifications. The Mission emphasizes digital enablement for transparency, capacity building across all stakeholders, and intensifying the ‘Jan Andolan’ (people’s movement) to institutionalize clean behavior. The recently announced ₹1,000 crore Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund is a targeted initiative under this mission to address specific solid waste challenges in ecologically sensitive regions.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders: How will the newly launched Hill and Himalayan Cities Focused Fund be structured to ensure rapid disbursement and efficient technology adoption for waste management across dispersed, ecologically sensitive areas?
Follow the full news here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2188050