Oct 2025
Resource Highlights on Building Resilient Cities
Hasiru Dala Workplace Safety Project: Designing Safety for Waste Pickers
By: Hasiru Dala
About: Hasiru Dala’s Workplace Safety project aims to minimize waste pickers’ exposure to occupational hazards by rethinking protective equipment through participatory design. In collaboration with Foley Designs, the initiative combines research, field insights, and waste picker consultations to create practical, user-informed PPE tools, from gloves and overcoats to boots and safety belts. Now in its final manufacturing stage, the project reflects Hasiru Dala’s commitment to worker wellbeing and dignity through thoughtful, design-led interventions.
Nagara Pravaha: The Story of Waste Pickers’ Resilience Amid Urban Flooding
By: Hasiru Dala & Hasiru Mane
About: As Bengaluru grapples with recurring urban floods, Nagara Pravaha sheds light on the lived realities of waste picker communities residing in informal settlements. The study examines how rapid urbanization and inadequate infrastructure intensify flood risks for marginalized populations, while also highlighting their remarkable resilience and community-driven coping mechanisms. Through field surveys, GIS mapping, and participatory research across 22 settlements, the report offers actionable strategies for flood preparedness, inclusive planning, and community-led climate adaptation, reaffirming that building resilient cities begins with strengthening their most vulnerable foundations.
More than Messaging: WhatsApp as a Tool for Sustainable SWM
By: Saahas
About: In Bengaluru’s Arekere ward, Saahas has transformed WhatsApp from a chat app into a powerful tool for community-led waste management. Through the Sada Suchitva Arekere project, a dedicated group of residents, municipal officials, and Saahas facilitators now use the platform to report and resolve waste issues in real time, covering over 5,000 households. The initiative has improved waste segregation, reduced open dumping, and fostered stronger collaboration between citizens and city authorities, offering a model for participatory and sustainable urban management.
Consumerism’s Heavy Burden: Impact of Bulky Waste Generation on Society and Environment
By: Saahas
About: Modern consumerism drives economic growth but comes at a steep environmental and social price. From fast fashion to e-waste and disposable furniture, the surge in bulky waste strains landfills, depletes resources, and impacts vulnerable communities. Bengaluru-based project “Change Matters” demonstrates how responsible disposal, recycling, and repair campaigns can mitigate these effects, promoting sustainable consumption. This piece explores the links between economic growth, consumer behavior, and the urgent need for sustainable bulky waste management.
Building Bridges in Hebbagodi: A Migrant’s journey from Transience towards waste responsibility
By: Saahas
About: Hebbagodi, a bustling suburb of Bengaluru, faces significant waste management challenges due to its growing migrant population and transient lifestyles. Saahas’ Kasa Mukta Hebbagodi project tackles this issue through innovative interventions—lane composters, community waste drums, night monitoring, and evening awareness campaigns. By engaging residents, especially children, and addressing local barriers, the initiative fosters responsible waste disposal and segregation. This case study highlights how context-specific solutions can bridge cultural gaps and drive sustainable community action.
Shiva: From Cobbling to Thriving Entrepreneur
By: Saahas
About: Shiva, a cobbler and second-hand footwear vendor in Bangalore, transformed his small business with the support of Saahas’ Change Matters project. By providing free old footwear, engaging him in repair campaigns, and linking him with recycling initiatives, Saahas helped Shiva increase his income by over 50%, diversify his revenue streams, and grow his business sustainably. His journey highlights how targeted support can empower small entrepreneurs while promoting environmental responsibility.
Closing the solid waste management loop through urban-rural partnerships
By: Saahas
About: In Karnataka's Bhadravathi taluk, a pioneering urban-rural partnership is transforming solid waste management. Self-help groups (SHGs) in 39 Gram Panchayats (GPs) collaborate with the Bhadravathi City Municipal Council (CMC) to manage waste through decentralized collection and processing systems. This collaboration ensures that 85% of households segregate and hand over waste during door-to-door collections. While 30 GPs have established Dry Waste Collection Centres (DWCCs), five GPs without land for such facilities transfer their waste to the CMC's processing unit. This symbiotic relationship, formalized through Memorandums of Understanding, has been instrumental in achieving cleaner cities and villages, aligning with the goals of the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0.
Power of Community: Role of RWA in Sustainable Waste Management
By: Saahas
About: In Sushant Lok C Block, Gurugram, the Alag Karo program partnered with the local Resident Welfare Association (RWA) to tackle waste management challenges. By establishing a decentralized facility for wet and dry waste, conducting awareness campaigns, and empowering women waste workers, the initiative improved source segregation, strengthened community participation, and promoted zero-waste practices. This case highlights the critical role RWAs play in creating sustainable, community-driven waste management systems.
Thela Mela: Harnessing the Benefits of Seggregation
By: Saahas
About: Under the Alag Karo – Har Din Teen Bin project, the Thela Mela initiative distributed free compost to residents of Ward 32, Gurugram, to promote source segregation of waste. Using e-rickshaws for sustainable delivery, the program engaged communities through door-to-door awareness, incentivized households practicing segregation, and highlighted the benefits of compost for gardens. Over six months, 1,470 kg of compost reached more than 1,000 households, fostering environmental responsibility and demonstrating the power of community-driven waste management.
Transforming Lives: Empowering Women Wastepreneurs as Drivers of Circular Economy
By: Saahas
About: In Wazirabad, Gurugram, Kanika Mondal’s journey from a waste sorter to the leader of a dry waste management unit exemplifies the power of women’s empowerment in unconventional sectors. Through Project Alag Karo, Kanika gained skills, infrastructure, and training that allowed her to oversee operations, manage teams, and drive decision-making in the family-run waste enterprise. Her story highlights how inclusion, support, and determination can enable women to break gender norms and transform both livelihoods and the circular economy.