Turning Trash to Treasure: How Ritu Sen Revolutionized Ambikapur's Waste Management?

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Until 2016, Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh faced a major waste management challenge, spending Rs 50 lakh annually to transport waste to an overflowing landfill. This landfill required yearly treatment to prevent fires caused by the emissions of polluting gases. Recognizing the urgent need for change, Ambikapur's former collector, Ritu Sen, launched a decentralized waste management plan to tackle this ecological threat.

The city was divided into 19 centers, each with three-member teams collecting segregated waste from 200-250 households. Each center had its own waste handling station, visited daily by dedicated junk dealers who exchanged cash for the day's saleable waste. Hard-to-dismantle waste, such as electronic waste, was sent to a centralized tertiary material recovery facility for further treatment.

Organic waste was collected by municipal vehicles and sent to a central composting facility, where the resulting compost was sold. By 2017, thanks to the efforts of 470 "Swachhta Didis" (cleanliness workers), Ambikapur became India's cleanest small city.

Today, 90% of the 50 tonnes of daily waste generated in Ambikapur is recycled, with the remaining 10% sent to cement factories as fuel, leaving no waste behind. Revenue from waste collection fees, recycling sales, and composting allows this self-sustaining system to cover the salaries of its workforce. The most remarkable transformation? The former stinky landfill is now a beautiful public park, attracting tourists and adding green space to the city.  

The Swachhta Didis working at Ambikapur's SLRM centers have pursued their education alongside their work. Despite the tough conditions of their job, these women have aspired to write their own destinies, earning degrees such as B.A., M.A., and M.Sc. While managing waste, they are also preparing for competitive exams to secure government jobs.

The Swachhta Didis have brought national recognition to the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation for its exemplary waste management. People often assume that these women have low educational backgrounds, but they are proving otherwise by shaping their future during their spare time.

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