18 Cities Granted Rs 1,496 Cr For Circular Waste Management In CITIIS 2.0

Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep Singh Puri, announced on Monday the allocation of Rs 1,496 crore to 18 cities as part of the CITIIS (City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain) 2.0 challenge. 

The initiative aims to promote circular solid waste management economies over the next four years, fostering reuse and recycling in urban areas.

The selected cities include Agartala, Agra, Bareilly, Belagavi, Bilaspur, Guwahati, Jabalpur, Jaipur, Madurai, Muzaffarpur, New Town Kolkata, Panaji, Rajkot, Srinagar, Thiruvananthapuram, Thanjavur, Udaipur, and Ujjain.

Minister Puri highlighted on social media that these urban interventions would serve as 'lighthouse initiatives', showcasing circular economy principles in waste management that can be replicated nationwide. Circular economy practices emphasise the reuse, refurbishing, and recycling of waste to minimise natural resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Swati Singh Sambyal, an international circular economy expert, noted that CITIIS 2.0's integration of circular economy principles in waste management aligns with India's COP28 commitments and can lead to significant local benefits through sustainable urban development and enhanced resource efficiency.

The ongoing efforts in the 18 Smart Cities, focusing on integrated waste management and circular interventions, are aimed at creating replicable models that reduce greenhouse gases and strengthen climate governance mechanisms.

CITIIS 2.0, launched in November 2023 and funded by multilateral agencies through loans and grants, saw proposals evaluated based on sustainable development, innovation, participatory approach, partnership, and feasibility.

The bulk of the funds, amounting to Rs 1,760 crore, comes from loans provided by the French Development Agency (AFD) and KfW German Development Bank. Each selected city will receive between Rs 20 crore and Rs 135 crore, to be repaid by the state and union governments.

Additionally, state governments will receive a Rs 264 crore grant to establish climate observatories for data-driven disaster management plans. A further Rs 106 crore grant from the European Union will fund national-level technical assistance training for urban local body officials.

CITIIS 1.0, implemented in 12 cities in 2018, focused on sustainable mobility, public spaces, e-governance, ICT, and innovation in low-income settlements as part of the Smart Cities Mission.