While the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has made strides, it’s clear that it need more than just traditional methods

Byline: Piyush Peshwani, Co-founder & CEO, OnGrid

The dream of a Swachh Bharat is one that resonates deeply with all of us, but achieving it requires a fresh, tech-enabled approach. While the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has made strides, it’s clear that we need more than just traditional methods. We need innovation, we need participation, and we need competition.

Imagine a system where every citizen is empowered to keep their surroundings clean. Through a simple mobile app, anyone can report garbage accumulation by tagging its location using latitude and longitude. This creates a service request that is directly sent to the local municipality for quick resolution. It’s real-time, responsive, and most importantly, participatory.

Gamifying Cleanliness
But it doesn’t stop there. To make this initiative even more impactful, we can introduce gamification. Municipalities, districts, and states can compete with each other based on the number of tickets opened and resolved. The faster a problem is addressed, the higher the ranking. This competition not only incentivizes local governments but also motivates citizens to take ownership of their environment.

For example, consider two municipalities—one with 500 service requests and the other with 1000. The first municipality resolves 200 tickets, while the second resolves 800. Of those 800, 600 were resolved in a single day. This speed and efficiency can be tracked in a real-time leaderboard. The more tickets resolved quickly, the higher the ranking in the competition, pushing local bodies to act faster and cleaner.

Government’s Role
For this system to thrive, government support is critical. Policy backing, funding for tech start-ups, and public awareness campaigns are essential for success. Municipalities will need to integrate this technology into their daily operations, prioritizing smaller, manageable tasks instead of waiting for large-scale clean-up drives.

With a focus on real-time data, local authorities can allocate resources where they are most needed, creating a cleaner, more sustainable India. This isn’t just about cleaning; it’s about promoting a culture of cleanliness and civic responsibility.

A Cleaner India by 2030
The goal is simple: we want to create a system where citizens are empowered, municipalities are accountable, and India becomes cleaner year after year. With gamification, technology, and public involvement, the dream of a clean India is not just possible—it’s achievable.

Let’s turn this vision into a nationwide movement, and together, we can clean up India for future generations.