Swachhata Seva Abhiyan: UP To Step Up Household Waste Segregation Drive; Focus On Wet Waste Reuse, Public Involvement

The UP Urban Development Department is set to intensify its campaign to promote organic composting through household-level segregation of wet and dry waste. Under the ongoing Swachhata Seva Abhiyan (Cleanliness Service Campaign), greater public participation will be encouraged to improve waste management practices across the state’s urban areas.

Citizens will be educated on the importance of separating wet and dry waste at source, a process that has seen limited success so far. Official data reveal that while waste is collected from 61 per cent of urban households, only 26 per cent currently segregate their waste, up from a mere 18.23 per cent in 2023. The department aims to significantly improve these numbers through targeted awareness drives and grassroots involvement.

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According to the Urban Development Department, nearly 60 per cent of household waste is wet and compostable. However, if this is mixed with dry waste and handed over to sanitation workers (Safai Mitras), it becomes unusable for composting. To tackle this issue, members of the Swachh Vatavaran Protsahan Samiti (SVPS), formed in each ward, will lead efforts to educate residents about the composting process.

These members, comprising senior citizens, youth, women, sanitation workers, and active social workers, will conduct door-to-door visits and organise group awareness sessions in local parks.

Residents will be taught how to convert wet waste such as vegetable peels, tea leaves, stale food (without oil and salt), coconut husk, dry leaves, paper napkins, and cardboard into compost. This compost, which takes around 30 to 45 days to prepare, can be used in gardens and potted plants. It can be made in small pits, plastic drums, buckets, or tanks at home.

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“Making compost at home is a crucial step towards sustainable waste management. During the Swachhata hi Seva campaign, this message will be taken to every household, with regular updates and tutorials shared on the Swachh Bharat Mission’s social media platforms,” said Ritu Suhas, Additional Director of the Urban Development Department.

With this renewed focus, authorities hope to instil lasting behavioural change and make cities cleaner, greener, and more self-sufficient in waste processing.