Punjab government has decided to introduce AI-based monitoring for sanitation across the province. It will mark the launch of a “smart cleanliness” drive under the Suthra Punjab programme.
Chairing a high-level meeting on Tuesday, the chief minister ordered strict action against ghost employees, absentee staff, and workers who mark attendance but leave duty. The meeting reviewed system improvements, AI-based operations, financial matters, and progress on waste-to-value projects.
Officials informed the meeting that the authorities will monitor around 40,000 vehicles and 176,000 sanitation workers through AI systems. The chief minister also issued an alert to the Suthra Punjab teams ahead of Eid al-Adha. She directed authorities to increase the number of waste collection centres across the province.
Under the new initiative, the Punjab government will introduce AI-equipped motorbikes to identify garbage. These bikes will feature automated cameras capable of live image capturing and real-time field visibility, enabling continuous monitoring. Authorities are also considering on-the-spot fines for negligence and illegal dumping of waste outside designated collection points.
The briefing further revealed that authorities will introduce digital mapping and a beat system. They will establish an AI-based complaint cell for the first time under the Suthra Punjab programme. Around 70 per cent of employees have undergone physical verification, which is expected to reach 100pc by next week.
Suthra Punjab Helpline:
The chief minister directed that field monitoring of sanitation staff be conducted using AI. The authorities will centralise Suthra Punjab helpline (1139) to ensure 24-hour responsiveness. More than 10,365 points have been cleared through deep cleaning operations, and an additional 2,029 attendance points have been established for workers.
The government has developed a new mobile application for attendance, with monitoring officers assigned to each union council for physical verification through the app. The government has made mandatory daily meetings of managing directors to improve efficiency. It will deduct salaries of employees found absent after marking attendance.
CM Punjab also made it mandatory for sanitation staff to wear uniforms and maintain cleanliness of vehicles. Performance indicators for door-to-door cleaning have been linked with physical verification. And container clearance now requires photographic evidence.
The authorities will introduce a uniform AI-based end-to-end digital monitoring for both urban and rural areas. The chief minister further directed early completion of the waste-to-value project.
The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation that Suthra Punjab, now a large-scale initiative involving billions of rupees, advanced technology, and a massive workforce, must deliver 100pc results.
