New Delhi, April 19 (IANS) In a step towards innovative maintenance of urban green spaces, the DDA, in collaboration with the University of Delhi’s startup ecosystem, held a national-level hackathon, “Harit Manthan 2026”, and picked three winners, an official said on Sunday.

The top three winning teams – two from the Technology Track and one from the Policy Track – were awarded seed funding of up to Rs 10 lakh by DDA, along with a coveted incubation opportunity from Udhmodya Foundation – the startup ecosystem of the Delhi University, said the official in a statement.

Earlier, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu inaugurated Day 2 of the event on Saturday, underscoring the vital role that young and fresh perspectives must play in shaping the future of urban development, public infrastructure, and ecological preservation.

Delhi Development Authority (DDA) Vice Chairman N. Saravana Kumar said that Harit Manthan was not conceived as a one-time engagement, but as part of a broader and sustained institutional commitment to opening DDA’s systems to innovation – identifying solutions that can be tested, refined, and scaled within the Authority’s ecosystem over time.

The two-day initiative – on April 17 and 18 – served as a convergence of young minds committed to developing innovative, practical, and scalable solutions for ecology maintenance and the sustainable development of urban green spaces.

The winning teams distinguished themselves through the originality, rigour, and real-world feasibility of their proposed solutions, setting a high benchmark for innovation in the urban greenery space, the statement said.

In a reflection of DDA’s broader commitment to nurturing grassroots innovation beyond the podium, the remaining participating teams will continue to have the opportunity to develop and refine their ideas in collaboration with Udhmodya Foundation, it said.

As one of India’s largest custodians of urban ecological infrastructure, DDA manages over 16,000 acres of parks, biodiversity zones, and city forests across the national capital. Given the scale and diversity of these assets, the Authority has long recognised the need to identify and adopt affordable, field-tested technological solutions that can be meaningfully deployed within government systems.

Harit Manthan 2026 was conceived precisely to address this need, creating a platform for young innovators to co-create solutions that are not only imaginative but also grounded in the realities of public implementation.

The hackathon witnessed enthusiastic participation from approximately 50 teams representing 31 colleges across 7 states, competing across two challenge tracks: Technology and Policy.

–IANS

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