New Delhi, April 19 (NationPress) In an effort to foster innovative approaches for maintaining urban green areas, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), in partnership with the University of Delhi’s startup ecosystem, hosted a national hackathon titled "Harit Manthan 2026", announcing three winning teams on Sunday, according to an official statement.

The top three teams, comprising two from the Technology Track and one from the Policy Track, received seed funding of up to Rs 10 lakh from the DDA, along with an esteemed incubation opportunity through the Udhmodya Foundation, the startup network affiliated with Delhi University, as highlighted in the statement.

Earlier, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, inaugurated the second day of the event on Saturday, emphasizing the crucial role of youthful and innovative perspectives in shaping the future of urban development, public infrastructure, and environmental sustainability.

The Vice Chairman of DDA, N. Saravana Kumar, remarked that Harit Manthan was envisioned not as a one-off event, but as part of a comprehensive and ongoing institutional commitment to harnessing innovation within DDA’s framework—aiming to identify and implement solutions that can be tested, refined, and scaled within the Authority's ecosystem.

The two-day event, held on April 17 and 18, brought together young minds dedicated to formulating practical, innovative, and scalable solutions for ecological maintenance and the sustainable development of urban green spaces.

The winning teams excelled in demonstrating the originality, rigor, and practical applicability of their proposed solutions, setting an impressive standard for innovation in urban greenery, as stated in the official communication.

Reflecting DDA's broader commitment to fostering grassroots innovation beyond the competition, the remaining participating teams will continue to have opportunities to further develop and refine their ideas in collaboration with Udhmodya Foundation.

As one of India's largest custodians of urban ecological infrastructure, the DDA manages over 16,000 acres of parks, biodiversity zones, and urban forests throughout the national capital. Recognizing the scale and diversity of these assets, the Authority has long acknowledged the importance of adopting affordable, field-tested technological solutions that can be effectively integrated into government systems.

The Harit Manthan 2026 initiative was specifically designed to address this necessity, creating a platform for young innovators to co-develop solutions that are not only creative but also feasible for public implementation.

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