Waste to Wealth Mission: Transforming Waste Management in India

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ABOUT THE MISSION

The Waste to Wealth Mission, spearheaded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India (O/o PSA), aims at strengthening the waste management system in India by identifying and validating innovative technology solutions and models to achieve a zero landfill and zero waste nation.

In line with its vision, the Mission has taken several initiatives in different areas of waste management, including technology demonstrations in multiple waste management domains, community engagement and development of an online portal which will act as a reference for all stakeholders including urban local bodies, government departments, technology companies, investors and citizens looking for comprehensive information on waste management technologies, policies and investment opportunities.

Vision

To identify and validate innovative technologies that can help create a cleaner and greener environment in a sustainable way.
To boost and augment the Swachh Bharat Mission and Smart Cities Project by leveraging science, technology, and innovation.
To create ready reckoners for waste management so best practices can be shared.
To drive community initiatives in the area fo waste management to drive behavioral change.

Focus

Highlights of Initiatives Under Waste To Wealth Mission

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Technologies Evaluated
Technologies Demonstrated on Ground
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Technologies Displayed on Portal
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Policies & Guidelines on Portal
Open Dumpsites Converted Into Waste Processing Sites
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Waste Removed From Two Open Drains
Lakh+
Citizens Sensitized In Waste Management
SSF
Fellows Engaged Across The Country

Technology Deployments

Cleaning Barapullah Drain

Decentralized Waste Management Technology Park

Problem Statement:

Cleaning of open drains in congested areas has always been a challenge in India because there is no or limited access for traditional equipment like Joseph Cyril Bamford (JCB) excavator, Poclain, etc. and human settlements on both sides of the drain with narrow passages make it impossible to dispose of the collected waste. The Barapullah drain in South Delhi is one such drain that is blocked at various locations with sewage, trash, and debris, resulting in foul odor, vector-borne diseases, unhygienic conditions, and flooding in the monsoons.

Technology Solution:

To address this critical problem, the Waste to Wealth Mission, one of the ten scientific missions of the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, collaborated with South Delhi Municipal Corporation (now Municipal Corporation of Delhi) to jointly pilot an indigenous, customized excavator - Drain Master DM-80, designed and developed by M/s Cleantec Infra Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai. The DM-80 unit was selected to address the critical gap area of technologies for cleaning congested urban drains clogged with mixed waste including construction and demolition debris which are very hard to dislodge and remove.

Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India (GoI) visited the stretch of Barapullah drain near Bhogal Market in South Delhi to witness the indigenously designed drain-cleaning excavator ‘Drainmaster DM-80’ in operation.

It is a self-propelled, transportable, and amphibious machine with multipurpose attachments capable of removing 50-100 m3/day of waste and overcoming the limits of cleaning urban drains (with widths larger than 7 m) making it an important technology for use in urban areas in India.

Impact

Desilting of Barapullah Drain

Cleaning Barapullah Drain

Innovation Challenges

Biomedical Waste Treatment Innovation Challenge Park

Cleaning and Restoring India's Water Bodies Challenge

Period: 15 June -15 July 2020

The W2W mission invited technology applications from startups, corporates, and entrepreneurs from research institutions to address the challenge of safe collection, disposal/ treatment of large volumes of bio-medical waste being generated during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The solutions were sought in areas such as standalone waste disposal units which convert the waste to energy with further possibility to install these standalone units in housing complexes, markets, etc. Innovations & solutions which can be deployed immediately, with the prototype to be collection-cum-disposable unit in one, were sought.

The Biomedical Waste Treatment Innovation Challenge Panel assessment had followed a multi-staged process through an Expert Committee formed for this project under the guidance of the Office of PSA. We had received an overwhelming response of 460 applicants out of which 8 finalists were selected.

The Waste to Wealth Mission is currently working with one of the finalists, GD Environmental Pvt. Ltd., for demonstration and piloting support. A 150 kg/h gasifier has been deployed at Decentralized waste management technology park, Jafrabad for gasification of municipal solid waste (including COVID-19 waste) and is being explored for possible conversion to energy.