This Earth Day, let's recount THESE 7 steps undertaken by Indore to become India's cleanest city
Changed the general outlook towards waste management
Indore Municipal Corporation has eliminated garbage dumps, ensured 100% household-waste segregation and converted waste to usable products, such as compost and fuel. This has been in action since 2016, which in turn has helped Indore to bag the tag of the cleanest city in the country. If and when people don't follow the cleanliness instructions, fines are imposed for non-segregation of waste and public littering.
IMCÂ partnered with non-governmental organisations for awareness campaigns
IMC has partnered with non-governmental organisations multiple times, for awareness campaigns, that would reach out to the citizens, inclusive of school goers. IMC has even contracted private companies to run a slew of waste management operations and improved municipal capacity, to ensure the absolute implementation of its waste management framework.
Established a zero-waste ward
The city has established a zero-waste ward developed by Basix Municipal Waste Ventures and it spans over 4458 homes, including areas like-Safainagar, Badribagh, Shyam Nagar, amongst other nearby areas. It has channelized the system of waste disposal in the city like no other!
Encouraged the act of composting among citizens
People in Indore have been practising composting for many years now, in many different ways. Most residents in the city have been composting for the last 5 years in the comfort of their homes. Certain residents have also tied up with Nagar Nigam for composting waste, every ten days. It usually takes 45 days to convert wet waste into compost but with the help of bins, it can be done in a span of 10 days. Indore's Nagar Nigam has also tied up with few residents for dry waste management at a fixed price.
Set up stringent cleaning schedules
The sweeping of roads is done with the help of motorised vehicles in Indore and sweeping is practised in commercial areas thrice a day whereas in residential areas, it is done once a day. Every morning, garbage vans plying across the city play their patent song, Indore hua hai number one, which alerts the citizens of their arrival.
Became an open-defecation free city
Indore has achieved the label of an ODF (open-defecation-free) city and its entire premises is almost covered with a sound drainage system. During the span 2017-18, IMC collected 27 crores in the form of user fees for waste collection. The annual expenditure of Indore pertaining to sanitation activities amounts to approximately 550 crore per year!
Indoreans have tightened matrimonial bonds with an 'eighth pledge'
In a bid to keep the city's cleanliness crown intact, many citizens of Indore have committed themselves to honour an eighth nuptial pledge, on top of the 7 taken in Hindu marriage rituals. Might sound bizarre but there have been instances where newlyweds have undertaken the oath of cleanliness! Further on a few occasions, dustbins have also been given out as return gifts to the attending guests.
Knock Knock
After years of these initiatives running successfully, Indore continues to ensure that 100% of household wastes in the city are segregated at the source and there is also a sustainable integrated waste management system in place. Additionally, in a bid to solidify Indore's status as the cleanest Indian city, the civic authorities have announced that an FIR will be filed immediately against miscreants caught polluting the environment or dirtying the roads and walls.
Along with all this, there is an app developed for the door-to-door collection and transportation of waste to the final disposal point, where there are dry and wet waste processing plants for further waste treatment. Even several social media initiatives have been undertaken to ensure the engagement of citizen's in the entire process, which consequently leads to better functioning of these systems!
