Mussoorie (Uttarakhand), April 28, 2022: Three years into its sustainable waste management efforts in Mussoorie, Nestlé India project Hilldaari has resulted in over 10,000 metric ton of solid waste being recycled and processed towards making the place clean and green.
The journey started some 3 years back when waste from the city was being dumped in a 150-year-old landfill called Gaddikhana. The waste accumulation was not only polluting the air but also contaminating the main water source of the city.
Under the Hilldaari project, the solid waste was diverted to a recycling and processing facility in Dehradun through a multi-stakeholder collaboration involving municipal councils, citizens, contractors, waste workers and influencers.
The local residents also participated in waste segregation. Public spaces were beautified with wall paintings and portraits of waste workers, waste to art installations and upcycled waste infrastructure, spreading the awareness around cleanliness and waste segregation.
Speaking on the efforts of the last three years, Mr. Sanjay Khajuria, Director – Corporate Affairs, Nestlé India said, “At its core, the Hilldaari initiative believes that all of us have something to contribute to make this world a better place. Many stakeholders have joined hands as part of the Hilldaari initiative, this has helped in managing solid waste as well as working towards bringing about a sustainable change and protecting the environment. By fostering a collaborative approach towards waste management, it is our belief that there is every chance the impact will sustain even in the long term.’’
Project Hilldaari is supported by Nestlé India to develop inclusive, contextualised and resilient models for solid and plastic waste management, in the tourist cities of the country. It is currently being implemented in Mussoorie, Nainital, Dalhousie, Ponda, Mahabaleshwar and Munnar by Stree Mukti Sanghatana, with Recity Network Private Limited as the technology partner. The initiative has facilitated the diversion of over 15,000 metric tons of waste from landfills and is progressively working towards professionalizing over 650 waste collectors and informal waste pickers.
Stree Mukti Sanghatana, one of the key collaborators for this project, said that the value derived out of a well-functioned and efficient waste management system has reached to the last mile stakeholders who are marginalised and at the bottom of the waste supply chain – our formal & informal waste workers.
Ms. Jyoti Mhapsekar, President, Stree Mukti Sanghatana further added, “We are honoured to work on a unique project that has collectiveness and inclusivity as its core values. It is a great pride for us that today the entire waste workforce of nearly 200 in Mussoorie has been professionalized and informal women waste pickers have been united to form SHG and on their way to create alternate sources of income for themselves.”
Recity Network, an Urban Resource Management company which worked on this project thanked various stakeholders who have supported the project through the years.
Ms. Meha Lahiri, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Recity Network said, “We are extremely happy to see how our waste intelligence technology and the support of our partners, city administration and residents have revolutionised the waste management of Mussoorie. Our collective vision of making Mussoorie, a model city in terms of solid waste management for hill cities across India has been realized. A model we believe is scalable, inclusive, contextualised and resilient in its characteristics.”
During the pandemic, the Hilldaari team extended further support by organizing virtual training for waste workers to help them adapt to the changes in the new normal, equipping them with safer working conditions. They were provided with PPE kits and safety kits and trained how to use it. Trainings was also provided on how to collect waste with minimum contact, ensure proper sanitation and safety. Waste workers were also trained to use smartphones and digital monitoring apps required for monitoring the collection and segregation of waste.
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