Civic bodies in Ambala district launch 'waste-to-wonder' drive

Aiming to improve sanitation conditions in the district and raise awareness about waste recycling, reduction and reuse, the civic bodies in Ambala district have launched ‘waste-to-wealth’ and ‘waste-to-wonder’ initiatives.

Under the waste-to-wonder initiative, a section has been developed at Indira Park under Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, where discarded items like tires, scrap metal and old machinery are repurposed into sculptures, garden decorations and playful structures. Similar sections are being developed in three parks under the Municipal Corporation, Ambala City, and Municipal Committees of Barara and Naraingarh.

An official of the Municipal Council said waste materials were transformed into artistic and functional installations to beautify public spaces and promote awareness. These installations serve as a source of inspiration for sustainable living. Awareness campaigns and workshops are being conducted to encourage citizens to explore upcycling and creative reuse of waste.

Besides this, a plastic buyback programme has been launched in Ambala Sadar in which a private vendor has been engaged to purchase the plastic waste at Rs 5 per kg from residents and use it to prepare plastic products.

District Municipal Commissioner Sachin Gupta, on whose directions the initiatives have been launched, said, “These initiatives are aimed at redefining waste management practices, conserving the environment and creating opportunities for resource optimisation. Through waste-to-wonder initiative, we aim to improve the sanitation conditions of Ambala and improve the Swacchhta ranking in the survey too. A section of the waste-to-wonder park has been developed in Ambala Sadar’s park, similar sections are being developed in three more parks in the district. The waste-to-wealth initiative focuses on converting waste into economically valuable resources, creating a sustainable circular economy.”

“A plastic buyback programme, incentivising residents to participate in waste segregation and collection, has been launched in which private parties have been engaged to buy and process the plastic waste into reusable products such as furniture and construction materials. About 10 tonnes of plastic waste has been collected so far,” he added.

The Municipal Commissioner said to further improve civic services and support these initiatives, the Municipal Corporation, Ambala, and Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, were procuring advanced machinery, including small sweeping machines, for effective road cleaning and maintaining hygiene, jetting machines for clearing stormwater drains and addressing waterlogging issues, tree trimming machines for efficient maintenance of green spaces, patch-making machines to ensure quicker repair of road infrastructure and water sprinklers to control dust and improve air quality.

The machines will be procured for Municipal Corporation, Ambala, and Municipal Council, Ambala Sadar, while the Municipal Committees in Barara and Naraingarh will get these machines as per need. Tenders for these machines will be floated soon.

“These initiatives showcase a strong commitment to innovation and sustainable urban management. They aim to transform Ambala into a cleaner, greener and more environmentally responsible,” said the MC Commissioner.