Now, BMC cash prize for cleanest socs, rds & mkts | Mumbai News

Mumbai: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, BMC on Tuesday launched a citywide cleanliness competition —Mumbai Clean League— aimed at driving civic participation and improving urban hygiene across Mumbai. The initiative was unveiled at the civic headquarters by actor Akshay Kumar, who will also serve as the competition’s brand ambassador.The league will span multiple categories, recognising the cleanest wards, residential complexes, slum clusters, commercial establishments and public amenities, including hospitals, schools, toilets, roads, gardens and markets. Register for it on sba.mcgm.gov.in/bmc/. The prize money ranges from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, with the highest award reserved for the cleanest ward, signalling a push for large-scale, community-driven engagement. The competition will be evaluated by an independent third-party agency to ensure fairness and credibility, said BMC. The prize distribution ceremony will be held in Dec.So far, similar competitions were largely limited to BMC’s garden department, which annually recognises housing societies for best podium gardens, rooftop terraces, kitchen gardens and vertical bio-walls. The new initiative significantly expands that scope, bringing the entire city into the fold.BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani said the solid waste management department has been implementing various initiatives to improve public places’ upkeep across Mumbai and in this context, Mumbai Clean League aims to ensure cleanliness and enhance citizen participation. Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner in charge of solid waste management, said registrations were opened on Tuesday. “To ensure transparency, real-time evaluation of registered participants will be available online,” he said.Mumbai BJP chief Ameet Satam, who welcomed Kumar at the launch, said the idea stemmed from the party’s outreach campaign. “During my interaction with the actor, he suggested neighbourhood-level cleanliness competitions. We are pleased that the concept has now taken shape as Mumbai Clean League—a name he coined—and that he has come on board as its face.”Following the launch, Shiv Sena’s Amey Ghole flagged alleged protocol violations. In a letter to Gagrani, he objected to the seating arrangement, saying in the mayor’s absence, deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi from Sena should have been accorded the top protocol status. Ghadi was reportedly assigned the fourth seat, an act Ghole termed “inappropriate and unethical”.