The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MoHUA), in association with the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), has recently made headlines for introducing the Swachhata Start-Up Challenge. This initiative falls under the umbrella of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 (SBM-U 2.0).
Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0
Launched on October 1, 2021, SBM-U 2.0 aims to transform urban India into ‘Garbage-Free Cities’ within the next five years. The mission prioritises the segregation of waste at the source, reduces single-use plastic and air pollution, manages waste from construction and demolition activities effectively, and bioremediates all legacy dump sites. Furthermore, the mission mandates that all wastewater be treated thoroughly before being discharged into water bodies, with the government striving to maximise reuse.
Swachhata Start-Up Challenge: Overview
The challenge is designed to stimulate innovation within start-ups and encourage them to contribute towards transformative change in sanitation and waste management. It invites solutions on four key themes: social inclusion, zero dump (solid waste management), plastic waste management, and digital transparency. By promoting an atmosphere conducive to enterprise development, this challenge plays a vital role in SBM-U 2.0.
Aid from Agence Française de Développement
The French Development Agency (AFD) pledges to provide each of the ten selected start-ups with seed funding amounting to 25 lakh rupees, along with one year of customised support. This injection of funding and support is intended to nurture the companies’ capacity for risk-taking and innovation, which could significantly reform India’s waste management sector.
The Challenge’s Alignment with National Objectives
The Swachhata Start-Up Challenge aligns with the national goals of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India, by leveraging the start-up movement to create opportunities for young entrepreneurs. It aims at producing socially impactful and market-ready business solutions.
International Significance
This move is of global significance as it occurs amid France and the European Union’s aim to negotiate a global treaty on plastic pollution with India. The rapidly evolving start-up space, with India producing over 70 unicorns (valued over USD 1 billion), adds to its significance.
Initiatives to Combat Plastic Pollution
In response to international commitments such as the commitment made on World Environment Day (June 5th, 2018) to “Beat Plastic Pollution,” various initiatives have been launched. One such initiative includes the agreement by the Group of 20 (G20) environment ministers to adopt an implementation framework to address marine plastic waste globally. Domestically, India’s Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016) mandate that all local bodies establish infrastructure for the segregation, collection, processing, and disposal of plastic waste.
Further Steps Towards Plastic Waste Management
Subsequent enhancements to the rules introduced the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concept in the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules 2018. Currently being developed, a new national framework on plastic waste management will implement third-party audits as a monitoring mechanism. On a similar note, the India Plastics Pact, initiated in September 2021 in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), aims to establish time-bound commitments to reduce plastic usage within their value chains.
