Indore, the bustling commercial capital of India and home to 35000+ Indians, has done the impossible by becoming India’s cleanest city for the sixth consecutive year. Despite generating a whopping 1,200 tons of dry waste and 700 tons of wet waste daily, Indore has managed to ditch the trash cans and take cleanliness to a whole new level!
But how did the city achieve the unachievable? By turning waste management into an art form!
How Indore earns crores in bucks by leveraging its waste?
From segregating waste into six categories at the collection point to the bio-CNG plant, which runs on wet waste and is Asia’s largest, Indore has pulled out all the stops.
The waste collection process begins with 850 specialized vehicles that pick up the trash from households and businesses and sort it into six categories. They don’t just stop at the usual dry and wet waste segregation; they go above and beyond!
For instance, discarded sanitary napkins are collected in separate compartments. This sorting at the collection point helps with efficient processing at the bio-CNG plant, which generates 17,000-18,000 kg of Bio-CNG and 10 tons of organic manure.
And Indore’s bio-CNG plant is a real game-changer! It not only fuels 150 city buses but also saves money. How? You see, Bio-CNG is sold at a price that is Rs 5 cheaper than commercial CNG, helping to earn crores of rupees every year.
As a matter of fact, the IMC (Indore Municipal Corporation) made Rs 14.45 crore from the disposal of garbage alone last year. This includes Rs 8.5 crore from the sale of carbon credits on the global market and Rs 2.52 crore as an annual premium from a private company for sending waste to the bio-CNG plant. This year, they’re hoping to make even more and cross the Rs 20 crore mark.
That’s not all; Indore’s sustainable waste management practices have extended to sewage treatment. Three special plants treat sewage and reuse it at 200 public gardens, farms, and for construction activities, leaving no stone unturned in the pursuit of cleanliness.
A lesson to learn for the rest of India
Indore has shown us that clean cities aren’t just a pipe dream; they’re a real possibility! The city’s waste management practices are the bee’s knees and can be emulated by others too. By focusing on segregation, recycling, and renewable energy, other cities can create a sustainable waste management system that not only benefits the environment but also generates revenue. Indore has proven that the sky’s the limit when it comes to waste management, and with a bit of determination and creativity, other cities can follow in its footsteps and become beacons of cleanliness too!
