Cleanliness Is Next To Godliness: Wise Management of Waste Shows The Bright Side Of ‘Swachha Bharat’ Build Up
Bhubaneswar: Clean air, pristine water, noise-free locale and spotless environment, is a mirage in the concrete jungle of Cities and metros. NITI Aayog and Centre for Science and Environment have collaborated to keep safe and preserve these three natural resouces from permanent deterioration.
Shield and preserve Nature and be rewarded. This was the noble idea which triggered the Union Government to continue Swachh Bharat Mission 1.0. In which, under 10 thematic areas of municipal solid waste management implementation, 28 Cities from 15 States of India are identified in the Swachh Survekshan assessment in 2018–20. Which added another feather to the crowning glory for Odisha, as 3 of our cities have secured its place amonst the 28 cities.
The municipalities of Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, and Paradeep have been recognised under the respective categories of Material Processing, Technological Innovation, and Innovative Models.
Dhenkanal Municipal Council has become the first urban local body in Odisha to construct and operate a material recovery facility (MRF) of its own. One of the old Royal districts of Odisha, Dhenkanal City has achieved 100 percent material recovery with full support from local SHGs. Similarly with the help of women’s self-help groups the Keonjhar Municipal corporation has achieved the tag of garbage-free city of India. The administration have adopted GPS-enabled vehicles and transportation for monitoring waste collection and segregation. The Ama Sahara App, a mobile-based app to monitor the system more robust and transparent by putting,waste collection and management.
A decentralised women-driven model made the self-sustainable solid waste management system a success in Paradeep too. One of the Port Cities of India, with active involvement of SHGS, third-gender groups and ragpickers’ associations, the city has shown a new inclusive as well as economically sustainable waste management model. The revenue generated from user fees and from selling of recycled product is always higher than the budget expenditure. The total expenditure incurred in waste management (February–July 2021) was found to be Rs 20.5 lakh while the revenue generated was found to be Rs 23.3 lakh, reflecting a net profit of Rs 2.8 lakh.
Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar has emphasised “Jan Andolan for Swachhta is very essential, where everybody is involved and understands the importance of source segregation and overall waste management operations. So people and City admin of Dhenkanal, Paradeep and Keonjhar has proved it cent per cent true to achieve an enviorment of health and hygine and an asset for the next gen.
