No matter what we do with rural development, India will continue to urbanize. Since 1911, the rate of urbanization has been an average of 2.09 percent per decade. With that backdrop, understanding about circular economy in the urban municipal waste management system is an intriguing subject. True Quality Certifications Private Limited organized a webinar - Evolution of Indore as a Smart City, on 11th April 2022.

The webinar covered key strategies implemented by the Indore municipal corporation while also acknowledging the commendable support shown by the city residents.

At the onset of the event, the first speaker, Mr. Rishav Gupta, CEO of Indore Smart City Development Limited (ISCDL) emphasized the role of waste segregation at the source and discussed the key initiatives of the government that has helped Indore to be one of the cleanest cities in India. He highlighted the support from the citizens of Indore that has helped the government in their various smart city activities. The Indore Smart City project’s new step that aims to join other cities in the journey towards sustainable urban development while also exploring various carbon finance options through an aggregator model was also discussed.

The insightful discussion was carried forward by the second speaker, Dr. Prashant, who is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Science, Central University of South Bihar, Gaya. Dr. Prashant has worked in the area of solid waste management, especially, on constructed wetlands and groundwater pollution, and discussed the current challenges of urban waste management with illustrations from various Indian cities. He also highlighted the opportunities that could be grabbed by the urban bodies to shift gears and consider waste management as a resourceful procedure.  

Finally, the session was concluded on a delightful note by our third speaker, Mr. Pankaj Kumar, who is a sustainability and climate expert and an advisor at True Quality Certifications Pvt Ltd.

By highlighting the importance of carbon finance and its role in urban development, Mr. Kumar discussed the future aspects that are bound to play a crucial role in projects at the confluence of waste management and carbon offset.