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In a felicitation event organised by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) today, on December 19, renowned environmentalist Sunita Narain acknowledged that there’s a perceptible transformation in India’s solid waste management strategies and practices.
“India is waking up to meet the challenge of managing its solid waste, and that too, proactively. And the biggest evidence and demonstration of this awakening and transformation is visible in many of our cities. We have gathered here today to acknowledge and celebrate this transformation,” Narain was quoted in a press statement issued by India’s leading think tank in environmental advocacy.
‘The Changemakers’ Conclave’ was organised by CSE’s solid waste management and circular economy unit in which officials and representatives from as many as 100 municipalities, urban local bodies and civil society organisations were felicitated.
The distinguished participants were celebrated as changemakers and a booklet titled Change Is Possible was released on the occasion.
This booklet highlights brief profiles of all the changemakers who were felicitated at the conclave, focusing on the waste management initiatives that they have championed in their respective municipalities, cities or spheres of work.
These range from implementing waste segregation at source, door-to-door collection of segregated waste, and running communication, awareness-building and behavior-change campaigns to investing in waste management infrastructure such as material recovery facilities and implementing steps to ensure financial viability of waste management processes.
“This Changemakers’ Conclave is not just a platform — it is a celebration of learning, innovation and the belief that change is possible,” Narain stated.
In her address, Narain also underlined that ‘waste is not just waste, but a resource’.
“The voice of the poor has empowered us to rethink and rebuild inclusive waste management policies such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). Action dies when a policy stops evolving – SBM thrives because it learns, evolves and adapts,” she remarked.
Besides Narain, participants at the conclave were addressed by Roopa Mishra, joint secretary and national mission director, Swachh Bharat Mission, Union Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs; Angela Lusigi, resident representative, UNDP India; Dr Balakrishna Pisupati, country head, UNEP India; and a host of other experts and senior municipal officials from all over the country.
Speaking at the Conclave, Roopa Mishra said: “Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0 is not merely a government initiative. It is a people-driven movement. The Mission has maintained its momentum for over a decade, driven by seamless collaboration between cities, states and other stakeholders and partners, showcasing a unified effort towards a cleaner and healthier India.”
Meanwhile Atin Biswas, programme director of CSE’s solid waste management and circular economy noted that the best way to bring about change is to learn and to apply that learning judiciously.
“SBM 2.0 has paved the way for India’s urban managers -- local governments, civil society, industry partners, etc -- to equip themselves with the capacity to understand and implement the nuances of the circular economy in managing solid waste in an environmentally sustainable and financially viable manner. What CSE has done is to help build that capacity through its specially designed and curated training programmes,” the director mentioned.