Mumbai’s sanitation efforts got a bold new push with the deployment of the ‘Pink Army’—a dedicated team of female sanitation workers tasked with cleaning the city’s roads twice a day. This major initiative by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) aims to transform Mumbai into a dust-free, cleaner city and has expanded the sweeping operations previously limited to VIP areas like Fort and Malabar Hill to the entire city starting May 5.
Around 13,500 sanitation workers have been deployed for the campaign, nearly 70% of whom are women wearing pink uniforms—earning the force its distinctive name. These women now play a vital role in maintaining hygiene in high-traffic areas, especially near railway stations, crowded markets, and ongoing construction sites.
Equipped with modern machinery, the Pink Army operates from 6:30 to 8:30 in the morning and again from 5 to 7 in the evening, with two workers covering each kilometre of road to ensure thorough cleaning. Over just three weeks, from May 5 to May 28, the initiative led to the removal of over 360 tonnes of general waste, 180 tonnes of scrap, and 150 tonnes of construction debris from Mumbai’s streets.
Although still in its pilot phase, the project has already shown visible improvements across key parts of the city. Civic officials are hopeful that with consistent execution, the Pink Army could set a new benchmark in urban cleanliness and inspire similar drives in other cities across India.
