In a remarkable stride towards environmental well-being, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), in collaboration with Colgate-Palmolive and Nepra Foundation, has set a new benchmark in waste management with the Zero Waste to Landfill Rath Yatra Initiative. The 147th Rath Yatra, a significant religious event and the second-largest Rath Yatra in the country after Jagannath Puri, exemplified the city’s commitment to efficient and eco-friendly waste management.
Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has been at the forefront of waste management, with several initiatives under its belt, including the RRR and door-to-door waste collection campaigns under the “My City My Pride” program. This latest initiative reflects AMC’s dedication to ensuring that even large-scale religious events and fairs are zero-waste-to-landfill events.
The 147th Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad attended by lakhs of people saw the successful collection of over 10,000 kilograms of waste in just one day. The waste collected included disposals used to distribute prasad, PET bottles, Multi Layered Packagings, etc. This impressive feat helped mitigate more than 300 kilograms of carbon equivalent emissions. The success of this initiative was largely due to the dedicated efforts of over 100 volunteers of Colgate-Palmolive and Nepra Foundation who accompanied the Rath Yatra, cleaning, sweeping, and collecting waste along the route.
In addition to their hands-on efforts, these volunteers conducted awareness sessions on the importance of proper waste management. Their work did not stop at collection; the waste was meticulously sorted and sent for sustainable disposal, ensuring that nothing ended up in landfills. This initiative aligns perfectly with the broader goals of Nirmal Gujarat and the vision of Swachh Bharat, reflecting a robust collaboration between public and private entities, NGOs, and the city’s community.
As AMC continues to innovate and implement effective waste management strategies, the city of Ahmedabad is poised to become a model of sustainability and environmental stewardship for the rest of the country.
