The Indian government’s Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser has recently unveiled the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship” under its Waste to Wealth initiative. This is a significant move towards recognizing individuals who are making strides in the field of waste management.
The Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship: Purpose and Categories
Established to recognize students, community workers, self-help groups, and municipal and sanitary workers tackling the challenge of waste management in a scientific and sustainable manner, the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship represents a major step forward in the fight against improper waste disposal.
The fellowship comprises three categories:
* Category A: Open to school students from 9th to 12th grade actively involved in waste management community work.
* Category B: Inclusive of college students, including undergraduates, post-graduates, and research students engaged in waste management community work.
* Category C: Applicable to citizens working in a community, through Self-Help Groups (SHGs), or municipal or sanitary workers who go above and beyond their specified job duties.
The Waste to Wealth Mission
The Waste to Wealth initiative aligns with the concept of transforming waste into valuable energy and materials. Aimed at developing and deploying technologies that treat waste for energy generation, recycling, and value extraction, the mission supports the Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities projects.
As one of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council’s nine missions, it aims to create viable circular economic models for waste management, helping streamline waste handling across India.
Aiding Waste Management: The Case of E-Waste to Wealth
In line with the “Waste to Wealth” mission, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi has developed a groundbreaking zero-emission technology to manage and recycle electronic waste.
Coined as an “Urban Mine” for metal recovery and energy production, this methodology involves shredding e-waste followed by pyrolysis. This process results in liquid and gaseous fuels, leaving behind a metal-rich solid fraction. Subsequent separation of the remaining residue delivers a 90-95% pure metal mixture, along with some carbonaceous materials.
This residue is then converted into aerogel that proves beneficial for oil spillage clean-up, dye removal, carbon dioxide capture, and use in supercapacitors.
By fostering waste management and recycling, this technology contributes significantly to the “Smart Cities,” “Swachh Bharat Abhiyan,” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives.