A focused seminar on Clean India 2030: Transforming Waste Management and Urban Sanitation was organised by the Regional Centre for Urban and Environmental Studies (RCUES), All India Institute of Local Self Government (AIILSG), Mumbai, on the second day of the Clean India Show. The seminar brought together policymakers, municipal leaders, technical experts, public health professionals and civil society representatives to deliberate on the future of urban sanitation and solid waste management in India.
The seminar commenced with an overview by Neha Hardikar, Senior Research Officer, RCUES, AIILSG, Mumbai, who outlined the objectives of the session. She highlighted the need for an integrated and action-oriented approach to address urban sanitation challenges, aligned with the Clean India 2030 vision.
Setting the tone for the discussions, the keynote address was delivered by Dr Ajit Salvi, Director, RCUES, AIILSG, Mumbai. He underscored the urgency of embedding circular economy principles, advanced waste management systems and resilient sanitation models within urban governance frameworks. Dr Salvi emphasised that cities must move beyond linear waste handling practices and adopt systems that promote resource recovery, sustainability and long-term resilience.
The inaugural address was delivered by Ramdas Kokare, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation. He highlighted the critical importance of segregation at source, particularly multi-level segregation, and stressed that community participation remains central to achieving the Clean India 2030 goals. He noted that sustained behavioural change and citizen ownership are essential for strengthening municipal waste and sanitation systems.
Innovations in Circular Economy and Recycling
The first technical session was addressed by Dr Milind Kulkarni, Director, Prakruti Education and Research Foundation. The session focused on emerging recycling technologies, material recovery pathways and innovative approaches to convert municipal waste into economic value. Dr Kulkarni discussed how circular systems can create environmental as well as economic benefits, while reducing the burden on landfills and municipal infrastructure.
Urban Sanitation and Public Health
The second session was led by Rosy Joseph Pullan from the National Institute of Public Health Training and Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. She shared insights on integrated sanitation planning, wastewater management and WASH interventions that are critical for improving public health outcomes. The session highlighted the strong link between sanitation infrastructure, service delivery and resilient urban health systems.
Decentralised Sanitation Enterprise Models
The third session featured Manish Kelsekar, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, The WoLoo. He presented a decentralised, community-driven sanitation enterprise model, demonstrating how innovative business approaches can address sanitation gaps while ensuring scalability and sustainability. The session illustrated the potential of entrepreneurship-led solutions in strengthening urban sanitation ecosystems.
Panel Discussion: Segregation, Community Engagement and Sustainable Health Solutions
A panel discussion moderated by Dr Ajit Salvi brought together senior municipal officials, technical experts and community representatives. The panel comprised Ramdas Kokare, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation; Dr Prashant Bhave, Former Head of Department, VJTI; Dr Mangala Gomare, Former Executive Health Officer, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation; Pankaj Gonge, Executive Engineer, Solid Waste Management, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation; and Advocate Ashvini Borude, President, Shree Astha Mahila Federation.
The panellists emphasised the importance of behavioural change, adoption of appropriate technologies, community-led segregation initiatives and effective public private partnerships. Institutional preparedness and inter-departmental coordination were highlighted as critical enablers for transforming India’s waste management and urban sanitation landscape.
The seminar concluded with active participation and engagement from municipal officials, engineers, environmental experts and non-governmental organisations. The discussions reaffirmed a collective commitment to advancing clean, resilient and sustainable cities, aligned with the Clean India 2030 vision.