NEW DELHI, May 20: A delegation from the Government of Arunachal Pradesh, led by Urban Affairs Minister Balo Raja, participated in the two-day National Review Meeting on Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) 2.0 (Urban) held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi from May 19 to 20.
The meeting, chaired by Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar, focused on strengthening urban sanitation and solid waste management systems across the country.
Key areas discussed during the review included institutional strengthening for effective project implementation, visible cleanliness initiatives, public participation campaigns with emphasis on heritage and tourist destinations, source segregation, waste collection and transportation, Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) management, waste-to-electricity initiatives, organic waste processing, waste-to-compost projects and legacy waste remediation.
Special emphasis was laid on improving implementation mechanisms in the North Eastern States. The meeting also reviewed the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026, directions of the Supreme Court relating to urban sanitation and waste management, and various implementation challenges faced by states.
During the deliberations, Minister Balo Raja urged the Ministry to extend focused support to Arunachal Pradesh and other North Eastern states, citing the unique geographical challenges of the region. He also requested a review of the current funding pattern, which is based on per capita urban population, stating that Arunachal Pradesh receives inadequate funding due to its low population despite its vast geographical area.
The Arunachal delegation included Commissioner Urban Affairs Vivek Pandey and Director of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) Hano Takka, who shared the state’s initiatives and challenges in implementing SBM 2.0 (Urban).
The participation of Arunachal Pradesh in the national review meeting reflects the state government’s continued commitment towards sustainable urban sanitation, scientific waste management and cleaner urban environments under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0.