Ambuja Cements Transforms Waste Management in Rural Region of Chandrapur

AHMEDABAD:
Ambuja Cements, the cement and building material company of the diversified Adani Group, through its CSR arm has implemented the Lighthouse Initiative in Kukudsath village as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0. The initiative aims to focus on enhancing effective solid waste management and upholding the principles of 3Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

The Lighthouse Initiative, a collaborative initiative with Ambuja Cements, has been implemented in Kukudsath, Mangi Buj and Upparwahi villages. Kukudsath village, recognised for its exceptional sanitation efforts with the SMART Gram Puraskar in 2016, has shown remarkable progress in improving its various sanitation metrics. Additionally, the community has implemented various sustainable practices such as RO water usage, innovative waste-water management through magic pits, and the installation of solar panels.

Despite these commendable efforts, Kukudsath village faced a significant challenge pertaining household-level garbage collection and segregation. Many households were still using oil tin boxes to collect all types of waste, including wet, dry, and plastic refuse.

To address these challenges, Ambuja Cements has taken the lead in implementing the Lighthouse Initiative, in collaboration with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) and select corporates. It will target around 75 gram panchayats (GPs) in the shortlisted states. The project began with a series of awareness and motivation programs based on the SBM 2 guidelinces and ensured that proper solid and liquid waste management solutions were implemented by involving the Village Development Committee members, Self Help Groups, adolescent groups, women, and PRI members.

To boost the awareness further, an exposure visit was organized to model villages, Rajgad and Kosambi, to pick up invaluable insights into effective garbage-collection and segregation systems.

In a bid to encourage household-level segregation, Kukudsath Gram Panchayat distributed two dustbins to each household, facilitating proper waste segregation at its source. Additionally, Ambuja Cements generously provided 16 large dustbins (120-litres each) for community-level garbage collection. The gram panchayat is now able to efficiently collect garbage from the large dustbins, via Granta Gadi, and dispose it off responsibly at a Nadep unit. A solid waste segregation shed is also underway with two compost pits and fencing in coordinate with the SBM department.

Ajay Kapur, CEO Cement Business, said, “We are proud to have collaborated with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation to bring about a positive change in waste management practices. The success of these lighthouse-villages will serve as a beacon of inspiration for other villages and blocks to achieve similar standards of efficiency and effectiveness in waste management.”

Ambuja Cements remains committed to its vision of creating a sustainable and greener India. Through projects like the Lighthouse Initiative, the brand continues to make a significant impact on the lives of rural communities, promoting environmental stewardship, and driving positive change.