Officials from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) in Ghana embarked on a visit to Pune as part of the Greater Accra Resilient Integrated Development (GARID) initiative. The aim was to learn from Pune's solid waste management system and connect with informal waste pickers to implement a similar system in their own country.
During their visit, the Ghanaian officials toured various facilities in Pune, including waste collection, composting, and biogas plants, recycling sheds, co-operative scrap shops, and transfer and processing centers of the Pune Municipality. They also interacted with waste pickers and gained insights into sustainable waste management practices.
Dr. Kunal Khemnar, Additional Commissioner, Pune Municipal Corporation, and Asha Raut, Deputy Commissioner and Head of the Solid Waste Management Department, provided detailed information about Pune's solid waste management model and held discussions with the Ghanaian officials.
On Thursday, a presentation was made to the visiting officers at the Pune Municipal Corporation main building. The presentation highlighted the city's solid waste management initiatives and was attended by dignitaries from Ghana, including Akweti Sampson, Director of the Department of Environment and Health, Ministry of Health and Water Resources.
Weekly waste collection system in Ghana
Akweti Sampson, Director of the Department of Environment and Health at the Ministry of Health and Water Resources, praised the work of the Pune Municipal Corporation and garbage collectors, noting that their country currently follows a weekly waste collection system. He emphasized the effectiveness of Pune's daily door-to-door waste collection, stating that this model is sustainable in terms of economic, environmental, and social factors. Sampson expressed gratitude for the learnings acquired during their visit and affirmed their intention to improve solid waste management in their country, taking inspiration from Pune's successful practices.
Vidya Naiknaware, a member of the Swachh Board, expressed the hope that the authorities in Ghana would study Pune's solid waste management system and collaborate with the unorganized waste pickers in their country to establish an efficient and inclusive system. She emphasized the importance of involving waste pickers in the decision-making process while formulating laws, rules, and plans for waste management.
