Towards realizing the dream of a Clean India

WeSchool takes a lead in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan by installing a biogas plant at its campus

With various schemes of solid waste management at state and city level remaining at planning level, the overfilled garbage dumps in and around the MMRDA Zone become breeding grounds for a number of health hazards that ail the Mumbaikars. Solid waste management is among the basic essential services provided by municipal authorities in the country to keep the urban areas clean. The situation becomes critical as the urban population keeps growing in the booming cities, making cleanliness just a word on the board.

Inspired by PM Modi’s call for Swachh Bharat, Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, (WeSchool), Matunga, took a lead by installing a biogas plant at its campus which was inaugurated at the hands of Padmavibhushan Dr.R.A. Mashelkar recently. He was joined by Padmabhushan Prof Dr J B Joshi, former Director, UDCT and Bharatkumar Raut, veteran journalist and former MP . The Biogas unit installed at WeSchool will use the wet waste generated in the cafeteria of the campus to produce clean energy that can fulfill a part of its energy consumption. The 6 cubic meter installation comes from a Cleantech company that had participated in the India Sweden Energy Accelerator (ISIA) at WeSchool last year, where Swedish as well as Indian corporates with interests in Green Energy had come together to form teams with MBA students who undertook an extensive study for 4 months that could enable the Swedish Innovative Companies to create business models to facilitate technology transfer and market entrance in India. This environment friendly initiative will enable the institute to manage the solid waste at source in an easier and efficient manner; it will also bring in reduction in the usage of LPG gas cylinders. While talking about WeSchool’s new initiative, Prof Dr Uday Salunkhe, Group Director said,” Institutions like WeSchool collaborate with all stake holders for creating awareness, changing their mind-sets and empowering them for better governance, economic prosperity and sustainable environment. We expect that our young managers should become responsible citizens by moving from responsive to transformative contributors to the society. Together we can transform India and become contributors to change in the global context .” WeSchool had earlier conducted a roundtable, ‘Swachh Bharat- Naya Prayaas’ ,under the leadership of Padmavibhushan Dr R.A.Mashelkar, aimed at creating structures to bring about a positive change in every household in the country in the space of health,hygine and sanitation . The findings were presented to the Expert committee on Water and Sanitation set up by Government of India, headed by Dr Mashelkar that formed the agenda as well as action plan for Mission 2019 as envisioned by PM Narendra Modi. While applauding the efforts made by WeSchool by actively participating in the National agenda, Dr Mashelkar said, “The renewable landscape is changing rapidly. This dynamic phase that the country is going through gives us an opportunity to introduce new and innovative products as well as concepts to address these energy issues. Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is about transformation. Educational institutes like WeSchool can contribute immensely in this process and turn our PM’s vision into reality .Together we can do it ". The veteran scientist had a special word of praise for the faculty and students who had done the initial study and formulated the plan for market entry of the Swedish Cleantech companies in India. The philosophy of sustainable development that WeSchool has adopted reflects in many other measures taken to make its campus eco friendly. Some of these include installation of solar panels at its hostels, recycling of grey water, minimization of packaged water bottles, discontinuation of offering floral tributes to guests at functions, abolition of paper napkins from the toilets and many others. MBA students from WeSchool had also taken the lead in carrying out the cleanliness audit of a MCGM Ward and had contributed area wise detailed pointers to the authorities based on their findings like - spaces in housing societies, shopping areas and abandoned old cars where garbage is accumulated, spitting nuisance, lack of proper signage, plastic and water logging, broken garbage bins, unused drainage pipes cluttering the area and many more. A comprehensive report combining the observations and evaluation was submitted to the authorities for setting up an agenda for further action towards healthy ecosystems and improved quality of life in the city.