Odisha City Earns Rs 20 Lakh Monthly From Waste

In Sambalpur, Odisha, Sunita Pradhan and over 2,100 Swachha Sathis collect segregated waste door-to-door each morning. The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation (SMC) now generates roughly Rs 20 lakh monthly from its waste management system. This income comes from selling compost and recyclable materials recovered at nine decentralized ‘Wealth Centres.’

Women from Mission Shakti self-help groups manage operations at these ward-level facilities, sorting dry recyclables like plastic and metal. They also compost wet waste into ‘Mo-khata’ fertilizer for local farmers. Currently, most revenue—about Rs 18 to 19 lakh—comes from dry recyclables.

The city’s system relies on mandatory source segregation, fixed collection routes, decentralized processing, and community-led operations. While the model shows promise, the article notes India still generates roughly 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, most of which is still landfilled. Scaling this approach to other cities will require sustained effort and investment.