Thane, Apr 1 The Bhiwandi Nizampur City Municipal Corporation (BNCMC) in Maharashtra has launched a competition to improve cleanliness and promote citizen participation across the city, officials said on Wednesday.
The 'Swachh Bhiwandi Competition 2026' began on Wednesday and will continue until July 31 under the guidance of ward officers, chief health inspectors, and other civic officials, BNCMC Commissioner Anmol Sagar said.
Residents, educational and religious institutions, NGOs, and public representatives will be involved in the initiative, which has a total of 500 points.
"A prize of Rs 10 lakh will be awarded for first place, Rs 5 lakh for second, and Rs 3 lakh for third," Sagar said.
The evaluation will be based on several parameters, including waste segregation at the source, closure and beautification of garbage vulnerable points (GVPs), composting by bulk waste generators, and implementation of 3R (reduce, reuse, recycle) activities.
Other criteria include compliance with plastic waste management, promotion of zero-waste events, maintenance of cleanliness logbooks, daily waste collection systems, and achieving composting targets, the commissioner said.
Regular inspections, upkeep of public toilets, cleaning of roads and drains, and timely waste collection and transportation will be closely monitored.
A committee headed by the commissioner, along with additional and deputy commissioners as members, has been constituted to oversee the competition.
"The main objective is to raise the overall cleanliness level, create awareness about waste segregation, and encourage community participation through ward-level meetings and door-to-door guidance," Sagar said.
He urged people to come together to make Bhiwandi a clean, beautiful, and healthy city through collective effort and responsible waste management.