Odisha, April 7, 2023: Godrej Properties Ltd., has successfully diverted 8,646 tons of landfill waste from four wards in Bhubaneshwar and 1,471 tons and in Konark. Collaborating with the Government agencies and NGO partner Feedback Foundation in the state, the Mumbai-based real estate developer intends to replicate the success story of Odisha in Punjab (Batala), Uttar Pradesh (Agra) and Madhya Pradesh (Budhni).
Speaking on the success of the initiative, Mr. Anubhav Gupta, CEO, Vikhroli, Chief CSR and Sustainability Officer, Godrej Properties said, “Irresponsible disposal of waste has far reaching ramifications towards the environment and requires our urgent attention. The successful implementation of our pilot waste management project in Konark, with approximately 6,000 waste generators, has showcased the effectiveness of sustainable waste management practices. This project has not only created a cleaner environment but also helped in empowering the informal sector integrating former rag pickers into the value chain as Swachh Sainanis. The success we saw in Odisha has encouraged Godrej Properties to expand this initiative to other cities across India, further contributing to the creation of a cleaner and more sustainable environment for all.”
The process of diverting waste from landfills involved collection of segregated waste and its processing at Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) and Municipal Composting Centres (MCC). Secondary segregation is done to further isolate the waste material. In case of organic waste, bacteria cultures are added to convert this into manure. In case of dry waste, recyclable material is separated and placed in 12 different bins and ultimately sold to recyclers.
Godrej Properties also collaborated with Feedback Foundation to organize Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) activities about waste segregation in local schools in Konark and Bhubaneshwar. These activities focused on creating ground level awareness about waste segregation and related process of segregation into four categories: dry, wet, domestic biomedical and domestic hazardous.
