The recognition of zero-garbage area, a project initiated by Cummins under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) in Katraj area, by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) speaks of its success story.
The objective of the project was to create value out of waste by processing all organic materials within the ward’s boundaries and maximising dry waste recycling to minimise the need for landfill sites.
Under the project, the wet waste is being converted into biogas using technology developed by Mailhem Engineers. The power generated is used to electrify the street lights of Katraj ward. It is a sustainable project that can be replicated in any city across India.
Cummins Group India head (corporate responsibility) S Ravichandran toldDNA, “A major factor in both the sustainability and replicability of the new model is its reliance on the waste picker. Instead of turning its back on the informal sector, the zero garbage model incorporates it and makes use of the available manpower. The model enhances the quality of work of the waste picker, while also meeting the demands for neighbourhood cleanliness and limiting garbage sent to landfills,”
The public-private partnership developed a system for waste management that decentralises solid waste management and fully incorporates waste pickers, the members of society that pick through trash for plastics to sell, into the formal system.
Apart from Cummins and Janwani, SWaCH,PMC, Lions Club and Maharashtra Plastic Manufacturers Association have joined hands to establish ward No 141 in Katraj as the first garbage-free ward in Pune.
