Swachhta Kendra has been set up at Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in Sector-29 Dwarka; 240-300 tons of dry waste will be managed every month
South Delhi – Municipal Corporation, in collaboration with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India and HDFC Bank have set up a state-of-the-art Swachhta Kendra (Material Recovery Facility), first of its kind, in Dwarka Sector-29. With this initiative, the Civic Agency has aimed to sustainably manage 240-300 tons of dry waste every month. The state-of-the-art facility will collect, segregate and process dry waste before sending it further to recyclers. The Swachhta Kendra will also onboard over 200 Safai Sathis or waste pickers and support them with access to social protection schemes along with financial, health and social inclusion.
The facility will provide a unique and inspiring space for Safai Sathis working in the area which is blended with creativity in the form of murals and plastic art. The wall mural ‘Sathi Didi aur Preeti’ is a conversation between Sathi Didi (Safai Sathi) and her curious friend Preeti, exploring what happens to the waste we generate every day in our homes and offices. Safai Sathis are the backbone and first line workers for waste collection, segregation and management. During the interaction, Sathi Didi walks Preeti through the stages of waste collection and processing using modern technologies at the Swachhta Kendras, while also ensuring the safety of Safai Sathis working there. Through conversations between the characters, the narrative explores the critical role of individuals like us for efficient waste management by segregating waste at home.
The visual details of the illustrations like color, character design,landscape design, space elements, and aesthetic frames communicate the mood of the storyline which was completed by 16 artists over a span of 32 days. The Swachhta Kendra also boasts of a distinct plastic waste art made with 16,000 used PET bottles. Aptly named as ‘Sanyukta Sankalp’, the art installation reflects the Dry Waste Management Programme and its key pillars. It demonstrates the need for collaborative action from all to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, thus promoting a circular economy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
