Page 62 - CIJ Aug 2024 - Digital Edition

MAKING A POINT

Success of Project Mumbai
People’s Participation in

Sustainability Initiatives

“Mumbai ke liye kuch bhi karega” (I will do anything for Mumbai)! With a
tagline like that, every Mumbai heart gets inspired to contribute to the cause of
making this dynamic city more liveable. Shishir Joshi, CEO and Founder Trustee of
Project Mumbai, believes that it is the citizens who need to get actively involved in

the process to bring about change and development in the city.

roject Mumbai was mental health. That was when we volunteering, are working to make
conceived in 2018 as a decided to set up a process to create Mumbai the country’s Kindness
model of public-private- a citizen-led organisation where Capital.
people partnership Mumbai was treated like a project. “As strong implementors,
Pmotivating lakhs of locals Thus, the name, Project Mumbai.” we work top down with the
to participate in sustainability There has been no looking back government, the private sector, like-
initiatives. since. Just over five years now and minded institutions and volunteers
While Mumbai remains chaotic the initiative is impacting over 1.6 with each of these stakeholders
yet exciting, it faced a trust deficit crore lives, which is about 9,000 being critical to building a robust
then. People wanted to contribute people every day. “Sustainability, urban environment model.”
to a better city but were unsure how mental health (primarily of Project Mumbai’s sustainability
to go about it. “It was a chance adolescents) and inclusivity (for initiatives are led by two flagship
visit to a municipal hospital which the differently abled and elderly) projects
led to not just an opportunity to are our immediate key verticals,
create a navigation system for but we remain very active in • Mumbai Plastic Recyclothon
citizens through collaboration 25 other areas. We are now a and
of like-minded people but also go-to organisation for citizens, • Jallosh (cleaning Mumbai’s
exposed us to one of our verticals, and through their support and water bodies)

AUGUST 2024•Clean India Journal
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