Chandigarh to replicate Mohali’s mechanised cleaning system

System tracks cleaning operations for city through GIS and mobile-based apps.

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Mayor Arun Sood and other councillors during the meeting in Municipal Corporation building in Sector 17, Chandigarh, on Friday. Kamleshwar Singh

The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation will now replicate Mohali’s mechanised cleaning system, which is based on geographic information system (GIS), in the city. The House on Friday approved the agenda to have the system which tracks cleaning operations for the entire city through GIS and mobile-based apps. The report of a nine-member committee that visited Mohali to see this “first-of-its-kind system” was placed before the House. The committee was given a detailed presentation about the project.

In Mohali, the GIS-based sweeping monitoring system is built on the Citizens Reporting and Mapping Tool (CRAMAT) platform to track attendance, uniforms, proper equipment, safety gear and performance of field personnel of Mohali. This system uses smart phone and cloud-based tracking technologies that send tamper-proof pictures, corresponding locations and the capture time to the operations command centre via Internet in real time.

Chandigarh has been facing the problem of tracking its sanitation workers, leading to inefficiency in the system. A major component of the app is a digital beat system that captures pictures of sanitation workers. The app is integrated with an operations command centre for continuous monitoring and feedback. The complete contract costs Rs 13.5 crore annually to Mohali. The machines can clean around a 55-kilometre stretch at a time.

“The project is really nice and we must replicate it,” said Senior Deputy Mayor Davesh Moudgil. The Ministry of Urban Development had selected Mohali to showcase the project for this system. MoUD had also sent letters to representatives from different MCs to visit Mohali to study the contract of mechanised sweeping, stated the MC agenda.

Keeping a track of sweepers has always remained an issue in Chandigarh. The city generates 350 tonnes of waste daily. The MC has nearly 4,000 employees to clean the entire city. Nearly 1,200 employees are regular whereas the remaining employees are hired through contractors. An attendance register is kept to record the attendance of sweepers and there is no foolproof system to cross-check the presence of the sweepers.

However, the Safai Karamchari Union is not in favour of the new system. “We will protest against this system. In Mohali, too, they have been chucking out sweepers and we won’t let this happen here,” said Shyam Lal Gavari, president, Safai Karamchari Union.

Hina Rohtaki

Hina Rohtaki is a Special Correspondent at The Indian Express, based in Chandigarh. She is one of the most prominent journalists covering the Chandigarh Administration, civic issues, and the unique political status of the Union Territory. Professional Background Experience: She has been in the field for over a decade and is known for her investigative reporting on administrative waste and urban governance. Awards: She is a recipient of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, which was presented to her by the President of India in January 2020. She was also awarded the Jethmalani prize (The Will of Steel Awards) in 2025 in the Empowerment category for a series of articles that highlighted the struggles of Covid widows. Core Beat: Her primary focus is the Chandigarh administrative structure, the Union Territory's financial management, and urban development projects. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent work highlights a focus on government accountability, administrative expenditures, and civic trends: 1. Investigative & Financial Reporting "Fuelling power: Senior UT IAS officers guzzled petrol worth Rs 30 lakh in 2 yrs" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative report detailing the high fuel bills of top bureaucrats, including the Finance Secretary and Chief Secretary’s staff. "Admn spends Rs 1.5 crore on dismantling road railings and fixing again after increasing height" (Dec 8, 2025): Highlighting administrative waste on "non-viable" solutions for pedestrian control. "Chandigarh’s finances under ministry’s watch now" (Nov 27, 2025): Reporting on the new requirement for MHA approval for all new projects in the UT. 2. Governance & Constitutional Status "What will it mean for Chandigarh if it is brought under Article 240?" (Nov 24, 2025): An "Explained" piece on the potential constitutional shift that would grant the President more power over the UT's governance. "MP Manish Tewari moves Bill seeking directly elected Mayor with 5-year tenure" (Dec 6, 2025): Covering the legislative push to reform Chandigarh's municipal leadership structure. "No proposal to increase Mayor's term in Chandigarh by 5 years: Centre" (Dec 10, 2025): Reporting on the Union government's response to demands for a longer mayoral term. 3. Urban Infrastructure & Environment "Chandigarh admn cuts power to India's tallest air purifier, asks firm to dismantle it" (Nov 17, 2025): A critical report on the failure of a high-cost environmental project deemed "of no use" by experts. "UT rethinks 24/7 water supply project as costs soar" (Nov 26, 2025): Detailing the financial challenges and delays in modernizing the city's water network. "Centre 'obfuscating, covering up' MC's shifting deadlines for clearing Dadu Majra dump" (Dec 12, 2025): Reporting on the ongoing controversy surrounding the city's major waste dump. 4. Lifestyle & Local Trends "Chandigarh turns into a Thar city as women fuel the surge" (Dec 2, 2025): A feature on a unique automotive trend in the city, with a record 600 registrations by women drivers this year. "After fivefold spike in 2023, EV sales struggle to pick pace in Chandigarh" (Dec 2, 2025): Analyzing the slowdown in electric vehicle adoption despite previous surges. Signature Beat Hina is known for her meticulous tracking of RTI (Right to Information) data to expose administrative inefficiency. Her "Ground Zero" reporting on the Dadu Majra garbage dump and her scrutiny of the Chandigarh Smart City projects have made her a key figure in the city’s civil society discourse. X (Twitter): @HinaRohtaki ... Read More

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