Focus Areas

Maharashtra, one of the most urbanized states with more than 400 urban local bodies, was the first state to define the parameters of an Open Defecation Free (ODF) city. Urban Maharashtra was declared ODF on 1st October 2017 with prioritization of safe and sustainable treatment of faecal sludge and septage management in every ULB driven by timely mandates and Government Resolutions by the Government of Maharashtra. The Coalition in its first year worked to create a base for initiatives through sector assessments and research at State as well as ULB level and is now actively working on activities like urban-rural linkages in faecal sludge and septage management, sanitation services and supplies delivery in slums, recognition, and training of sanitation workers along with allied research. As a platform to foster collaborations, the Coalition is actively working with State Departments and ULBs, development organizations, sector experts and academic institutions for activities related to sanitation and faecal sludge and septage management in the State.

The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India launched the second phase of the flagship project ‘Swachh Bharat Mission’ on 1st October 2021. The mission under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India (GoI) is to work towards a clean India with an aim of creating ‘Garbage Free Cities’ by 2026. The Government of Maharashtra launched Swachh Maharashtra Mission in alignment with Swachh Bharat Mission to assist ULBs in Maharashtra to achieve the targets and milestones of the mission.

Maharashtra State generates the highest quantum of municipal waste in the entire country as per the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) (2017-2018). Handling, management and safe disposal of such a huge amount of waste and the hygiene conditions of facilities involved in the operation and management of solid waste is a challenge and a priority to ensure the health and wellbeing of citizens, waste management staff and the surrounding environment. The Swachh Maharashtra Mission is aimed at the promotion of scientific handling, processing and disposal of domestic wastes collected in the urban areas and propels 100% coverage of domestic waste collection, source segregation, setting up of MRF facilities and waste processing in each ULB through regular technology approvals by the UDD.

The Coalition has conducted training programmes and awareness sessions on waste segregation, handling and management practices for various stakeholder groups like sanitation workers, Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs). SHGs have also been trained in the reuse and recycling of fabric and plastic wastes in partnership with DAY-NULM Maharashtra. Research has been carried out on existing systems and challenges faced by ULBs in the management of dry waste. The study captures dry waste generated in ULBs, their existing management mechanism, different financial modules are undertaken by ULBs in solid waste management with its implications, the feasibility of cluster-level dry waste management, etc. Taking these research studies towards on-ground implementation, the Coalition is actively working with municipal councils, several peri-urban gram panchayats, NGOs, SHG groups, etc. for cluster-level dry waste management.

The State of Maharashtra on account of its geography enjoys a tropical monsoon climate and is semi-arid with extreme spatial and temporal variation in the rainfall pattern. The State is also prone to drought conditions. With rising water demand due to increasing urbanisation, the severity of the water crisis in Maharashtra has been increasing every year. The Coalition conducts sectoral research and facilitates collaborations among government departments, ULBs and development partners under various missions and schemes like AMRUT 2.0, SBM 2.0, Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan and Jal Shakti Abhiyan in the water sector. The Secretariat has been engaged in the assessment of water supply service delivery in ULBs, exploring the availability of water resources and promoting treated water reuse and waterbody conservation practices.

With changing climate patterns on account of global warming, environmental conservation is the need of the hour. One of the integral parts of environmental conservation is the reduction of air, water and land pollution through technological innovations and scientific management of ecologically harmful materials. Environmental Sanitation is implemented by addressing the end-use and disposal of different waste streams in order to prevent pollution of land, water and air. The Coalition is associated with the Majhi Vasundhara (MV) Abhiyan initiative of the Environment and Climate Change Department, Government of Maharashtra to amplify the MV Abhiyan among urban stakeholders. The Coalition partnered with the Department of Environment and Climate Change, to develop the Majhi Vasundhara Curriculum which aims to inculcate environmental conservation and waste segregation, reduce-reuse-recycle practices and promote ecological sensitivity among school students.