ISC-India Sanitation Coalition

Pankaj Arora, Director, Transformation Consulting, #GTBharat, participated in a panel discussion on 'Plastic Pathways: Driving Policy, Innovation, and Circular Solutions for a Sustainable Future' at the 8th ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards Ceremony and India Sanitation Conclave, where he shared insights on the role of circular economy principles, policy frameworks, and market-driven solutions in tackling India's plastic pollution crisis. He also highlighted the importance of leveraging internal resources, empowering the informal sector, and driving innovation in materials and processes to create sustainable solutions. ISC-India Sanitation Coalition | FICCI | Dr. Abhinav Akhilesh #ISCAwards #ISCConclave #PlasticWaste #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction

We are indeed honoured to receive the prestigious ISC-India Sanitation Coalition-FICCI Sanitation Award 2024 for the Best Non-Profit Engagement Model in Urban Sanitation for our initiative on supporting decentralized community-led solid waste management in Patna, Bihar.   Supported by the European Union and in partnership with GSSG and urban local bodies in Danapur, Khagaul and Phulwarisharief in Patna, this initiative has established an effective and sustainable model for solid waste management, benefiting both municipal authorities and citizens. It has also contributed significantly to broader economic and social equity goals, including job creation, social inclusion, and poverty reduction.   The programme presents a viable community-led model for Bihar's Urban Development and Housing Department to expand similar solid waste management efforts in collaboration with other Urban Local Bodies. It has also sparked collaboration with waste management startups and fostered impactful public-private partnerships.   This recognition fuels our commitment to creating solutions that leave no one behind—building a future where we all thrive together. Aga Khan Foundation Swachh Bharat Urban Asad Umar Sheikh Meraj Tanu Shukla Trisha Agarwala

One aspect that I look forward to the annual conclave organised by ISC-India Sanitation Coalition is the release of 2 of their knowledge products, one of which is the 'The Business of Change: Smart Solutions to Supply Chain Problems in Plastic Waste Management'. This year's compendium captures experiences of different organisations on waste management, including plastic waste. Incidentally, there are also two case studies of ITC, where the experiences of Saharanpur and Munger have been shared. Compliments to the leadership team of ISC for their support for knowledge dissemination, and to the entire team that worked on the same, especially the team involving Nupur Krishna and Kriti Agrawal. #sanitaton #wastemanagement #circulareconomy https://lnkd.in/guyRwBXn

"I'm thrilled to have represented our team alongside Irfan Ulla Shariff at the 8th ISC Sanitation Conclave at FICCI, Delhi! We showcased a cutting-edge toolkit to enhance coastal town resilience, focusing on the WaSH sector through Integrated Coastal Climate Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (ICRVA) Why is this crucial? 🌀 Rising cyclone frequency and intensity over the past decade 🚹 WaSH infrastructure is often impacted during hazards, leading to water contamination and disease outbreaks Our toolkit offers: ⚡ Identification of high-risk zones and vulnerable areas ⌛ Timely action planning for town authorities 🌳 Emphasis on conserving natural buffers 📑 Can be integrated into town master plans 🏆 This dynamic, adaptable tool enables authorities to assess issues from macro-level risks to micro-level localized vulnerabilities. I want to extend my gratitude to: Harshvardhan, Aditi Pandey, and ANDREWS JACOB for their guidance and support. Irfan Ulla Shariff for the constant support and for providing me with this opportunity Puneeth S and Meenal Bais for their great contributions CDD India ISC-India Sanitation Coalition for hosting an exceptional event and giving us a platform to present #IndiaSanitationCoalition #ISCConclave #FICCI #WASHSector Let's continue working together to create resilient, sustainable communities! #coastalresilience #WaSH #sustainability #climateaction"

Dr. Abhinav Akhilesh, Partner, Transformation, #GTBharat, delivered opening address at the 8th ISC-FICCI India Sanitation Conclave 2024, highlighting the shift from traditional ODF goals to circular economy principles. He talked about the innovation in plastic waste management and collaborative efforts for sustainable scalability. The event also featured the launch of the 'Business of Change Compendium', a key resource showcasing case studies of sustainable and economically viable solutions in plastic waste management. ISC-India Sanitation Coalition | FICCI | Pankaj Arora #ISCAwards #ISCConclave #PlasticWaste #CircularEconomy #ClimateAction

Thank you journalist Mr. Ali Abbas Naqvi, NDTVIndia for joining as a speaker at the 8th ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards Ceremony & India Sanitation Conclave 2024! During the panel discussion on 'How can NGOs and start-ups use storytelling to engage the target audience and build a brand?', Ali shared invaluable insights on leveraging social media as a powerful tool for storytelling and audience engagement. His emphasis on the critical role of a social media strategist offered actionable takeaways for organizations aiming to amplify their impact. Watch Now - https://lnkd.in/gWN5f--J #IndiaSanitationCoalition #ISCAwards #ISCConclave #FICCI #ISC #WASHSector #IndiaSanitationCoalition [ wash sector, ngo sector, ngo in wash, water, sanitation, hygiene, awards ceremony, awards, wash awards ]

It was a pleasure speaking at the ISC- FICCI Sanitation Coalition on the EPR regulations and the impact on the plastic waste management sector; critical role of the waste pickers and importance of their formalisation to build sustainable waste management ecosystem. There is imminent need for providing a social safety net for these vulnerable sections of the society who are a bedrock to the waste management sector. Role of consumers, policy makers, tax incentives for recycling and innovations in the waste management space were also discussed. It was great to share the panel with old friends and partners who have supported Tetra Pak’s journey - TERI, Sampoorna Earth and others into advancing collection and recycling for used cartons!

On Day 1 of the 8th ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards and India Sanitation Conclave 2024, Mr Alok Varma, Project Director - Samuday & My Clean City, HCLFoundation, participated as a panelist in the session on 'Empowerment Through Collaboration: Best Practices in Federations Managing Operations & Management in Rural India.' During the insightful discussion, moderated by Ms Natasha Patel, CEO, India Sanitation Coalition, Mr Varma shared Samuday's experience in strengthening over 2,800 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) at the grassroots level. The session explored crucial aspects of rural sanitation management, from capacity building and sustainable operations to addressing challenges with the SHG model. The panel, featuring distinguished speakers, deliberated on effective strategies for SHG development, focusing on Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) and Behaviour Change Communication (BCC) initiatives. #SuperchargingProgress #WaSH #RuralDevelopment #SustainableDevelopment #UttarPradesh #TamilNadu #IndiaSanitationCoalition #ISCAwards #ISCConclave #HCLFoundation HCLTech

Thanks to the ISC - FICCI team for conducting the "Plastics Pathways: Driving Policy, Innovation and Circular Solutions gor a Sustainable Future'. It is nice to find agreement on the important role being played by Waste workers and Kabadiwalas. I spoke on how our Bicholim Unit is a role model for inclusive practices through involvement of the Goa Waste Management Corporation, Goa Pollution Control Board, 2 Municipalities & 31 Gram Panchayat, Minerals Foundation of Goa (Awareness partner), waste workers SHGs, Scrap dealers, Aggregates, Recyclers and Coprocessing Cement Plants. I advocated the need for: 1. Corporates to plan their CSR initiatives over longer periods, say 3 to 4 years to ensure better monitoring, handholding and impacts. 2. Developing energy efficient machinery for MRFs and Recyclers.   3. Reducing the rate of GST considering the fact most purchases from tge Waste workers, Scrap dealers and SHGs are without input tax credit. 4. Better training and monitoring for source segregation. 5. MRF Waste to be sent to Secondary segregation to ensure better results. 6. Corporates and the Government to strengthen the Waste worker role and 7. Ensure better price support for Non-recyclables so that they are not left out of the chain. It was great meeting Ms Naina Lal Kidwai and interacting with various speakers of the event. Thanks to all my co-panel members. It was great to connect with Ms Juhi Gupta, Sustainability Director - South Asia Markets, Teteapak and recall Sampurnearth - Tetrapak joint efforts over 10 years and acknowledge Tetrapak's efforts in financially supporting 2500 Waste workers during Covid pandemic. Look forward to build in the friendships made at the event!

Mr Ashok KK Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Govt of India yesterday while highlighting the journey of Swachh Bharat Mission said that we are now embarking on phase-3 of Swachh Bharat Mission Rural. “Phase-3 would be targeted at waste to wealth but the context of waste to wealth is basically entering into circular economy phase when the climate resilience for sustainability will have to be accounted for as well.” he added.   Addressing the 8th ISC-FICCI Sanitation Awards & India Sanitation Conclave 2024, the Secretary added that going forward, we need to think in terms of circular economy and in this, we need to work on how circularity can work on a sustainable basis in WASH sector. This is going to be critical for all of us. “While we think about circularity, we need to think about sustainability aspects as well and this is possible if we have a possible business model for handling sanitation and water related issues in the rural areas,” he emphasized. Mr Jitendra Srivastava, JS & MD (SBM), Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation said, “Innovation is an area where we look forward to collaborating with the corporate partners and industry, as all of you play a vital role in driving this initiative forward. We value your partnership, which are crucial to the success of the Swachh Bharat campaign. We have a clear vision for the corporate sector to drive innovation in the sanitation sector.”   Mr Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, President, FICCI said, “Businesses must recognize the pivotal role they play in addressing water and sanitation challenges, not just as a fluctuating effort, but as a core business priority aligned with long-term sustainability goals. CSR funding has proven instrumental in meeting immediate infrastructure needs, fostering innovation in sanitation technologies, and advancing policy advocacy. It is heartening to see many companies now shifting their perspective, viewing WASH not merely as a CSR obligation, but as an opportunity to create shared values.”   Ms Naina Lal Kidwai, Past President, FICCI and Chair, India Sanitation Coalition said, “There is an urgent need to understand and improve resilience in WASH infrastructure and services to withstand the increasing threats posed by climate change. We seek to forward the discourse on climate-resilient waste management and sanitation management infrastructures and services, circular economy, accelerating decarbonization in India, and WASH financing.” ISC-India Sanitation Coalition