Bengal is one of the most populated states in India. As one of the rapidly changing & evolving state, it has become the source of a humongous amount of waste per annum, be it wet waste, dry waste, hazardous waste, bio-medical waste or e-waste. Segregation at source, collection, transportation, treatment and scientific disposal of waste is largely insufficient leading to degradation of environment and poor quality of life.

Howrah is one such district in Bengal, which is not only thickly populated, but also produces a massive amount of solid waste per day, which acts as a serious threat to a greener & sustainable tomorrow. Due to the lack of proper infrastructural support & awareness of waste generation, segregation, collection & disposal, many of us till date throw the waste just in haste, without even knowing what to throw, what can be recycled for our future use, how to manage our dry & wet waste, which is biodegradable & most importantly the impact of our age old behavioural habits & practices of waste generation & management in our day to day lives & in the years to come.

The growth of Municipal Solid Waste has out placed the growth of our population due to increasing urbanization, industrialization & our never-ending needs resulting in change in lifestyles, food habits & living standards. The increase in non-degradable waste is alarming, as the production & consumption of non-degradable materials in our lifestyle has increased manifold, which finds its way in dump yards. Inappropriate disposal, recovery or reuse of waste can spread contamination and pollute surface/groundwater or land. Certain wastes types may be hazardous or difficult to handle and require different recovery or disposal methods. This is because they present a greater risk to the environment and human health.

Howrah Municipal Corporation is taking an exemplary step by moving towards a cleaner, Greener, Sustainable & Waste Free Tomorrow. HMC has identified the Waste Generators and divided them into different categories to create awareness among them regarding solid waste management & segregation.
HMC has identified the gated communities who are a major stakeholder of BGW, among which Vivek Vihar is the pioneer. Vivek Vihar is the first zero waste community in the Howrah District, it has not only managed its own waste responsibility, but has also installed an organic waste composting machine in their premises. Envisaged on the concept of segregated waste at the doorstep.
HMC with the intention of penetrating in different ward of Howrah, initiated a Pilot Project in Ward-22, the flag bearer of Mission Clean & Green Howrah. HMC is creating awareness through various modes of communication, canter activity, jingle & distribution of Bins coined as Neelu & Pochu to sensitize, trigger & easy understanding of the segregation process. Random interaction with the citizen by HMC and word of mouth has now created a positive buzz and proactiveness among the people of Howrah.

The huge public participation & encouraging response has left HMC enamoured to create many such success stories even in times to come. The corporation is elated to transform wards & communities by introducing waste segregated bins, thereby making them understand segregation, its importance & the proper way of waste management. The essence of this movement will be replicated in the entire Howrah to make the city Clean & Green, moving towards a sustainable & zero waste future.