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Surat has not only secured the second position in India's cleanest city at the Swachh Survekshan 2024-25 but has also bagged the top rank in the country for solid waste management. The President of India presented Surat with the award for achieving the top position in solid waste management, recognising the city's sustainable waste handling efforts.
This achievement in Surat is attributed to the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), which does not dump garbage but rather utilises it to create items such as recycled paper, glass, and fertilisers. The SMC treats waste as a resource rather than disposing of it, generating revenue by recycling and converting it into useful products. Pradeep Umrigar, Surat Health Office, said, "The waste management in Surat is very good. The Surat Municipal Corporation collects all waste generated in homes, offices, and construction sites, segregates it, processes it, and then reuses or recycles it. Similarly, the Surat Urban body has achieved zero waste, and this is a notable achievement for Surat. Surat has a plant to process 1500 tons of waste and a plant to produce CNG from the waste." Sanitary Inspector RC Patel, while talking to the ANI, added, "The waste that comes here is segregated, and the dry waste goes to the MRF and wet waste is sent to the disposal site. Fertiliser is made from wet waste, and the dry waste is used to make paper, glass, and plastic. We have a very good door-to-door system....We receive 350 tons of waste daily." In Surat, a large quantity of waste is collected daily across the city and sent for recycling. The city operates a dedicated waste management plant where dry and wet waste is separated and managed efficiently. From segregated waste, compost is produced, while dry waste is further processed to recover materials such as plastic, glass, and paper. The Surat plant handles about 350 tonnes of waste daily, all of which is recycled and reused in various forms. Additionally, Surat has developed a facility capable of processing 1,500 metric tonnes of waste per day. This plant produces 100 metric tonnes of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) from waste, adding to the revenue of the municipal corporation. The city also manufactures construction blocks and other building materials from waste. By transforming different types of garbage into diverse usable products, the city prevents the accumulation of waste dumps and ensures efficient waste management. (ANI)
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