Panaji Smart City has been selected as one of the top 18 winning cities amongst the 100 smart cities in the CITIIS 2.0 Challenge – a national initiative to promote innovative and sustainable urban development, informed a press release by Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited (IPSCDL).
Launched in November 2023 by Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, CITIIS 2.0 focuses on advancing climate action through a circular economy approach to integrated waste management. The CITIIS 2.0 Challenge has been conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), Kreditanstaltfür Wiederaufbau (KfW), the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), offering significant financial and technical assistance to the winning cities.
Panaji Smart City’s winning proposal for CITIIS 2.0 drew inspiration from the LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative championed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aiming to encourage sustainable practices in India and around the world to combat environmental degradation and climate change. The proposal aims to position Panaji globally as a ‘Model Best-Practitioner’ in sustainable waste management with citizen participation.
The winning proposal, “Amchi Swachh Panaji – Ensuring Zero Landfill for a Thriving Panaji” that promotes Panaji’s citizen centric and decentralised model of waste management, was an in-house collaborative effort of IPSCDL, conceptualised by Sanjit Rodrigues (IAS), MD & CEO – IPSCDL, with Sameeuddin Sheikh and Siddhant Vernekar of IPSCDL, Sachin Ambe of CCP and Alisa Sahu of GIZ.
The proposal envisages a landfill free city and aims at achieving a paradigm change of attitude from the conventional “Not in my backyard” to “Yes, in my backyard (YIMBY)” perspective by encouraging citizens to segregate and treat waste at source. The city also aims to further strengthen first of its kind initiative of ‘16 – way segregation’ while integrating a unique ‘waste purchase model’ to achieve saturation in waste treatment.
“We are incredibly proud that Panaji Smart City’s innovative waste management plan, ‘Amchi Swachh Panaji’ has secured us a place among the top 18 winners of the CITIIS 2.0 Challenge,” said Rodrigues.
“This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts of our entire team at Imagine Panaji Smart City Development Limited and our partners. Beyond mere waste collection, our plan is a comprehensive blueprint for a circular economy, transforming waste into a valuable resource. Amchi Swachh Panaji envisions a sustainable waste management paradigm, uniting technology, infrastructure, and community engagement to achieve zero landfill, efficient resource recovery, and a lasting model for urban cleanliness.
Our proposal prioritises the well-being of ‘Safai Saathis,’ strengthens the gender and social inclusion approach that would pave the way for a resilient and equitable city.
This recognition validates our vision for a climate-resilient and sustainable Panaji, and we eagerly anticipate contributing to India’s journey towards Net Zero Emission. IPSCDL will leverage this program’s resources to make Panaji as a global role model for solid waste management by reducing its carbon footprint through innovative waste management practices,” Rodrigues said.
