Gujarat govt firm on boosting circular economy: Minister Mulubhai Bera

The Gujarat government is committed to promoting a circular economy by incentivizing industries and encouraging them to recycle and reuse resources, said Mulubhai Bera, state minister for forest and environment and climate change.
The minister was speaking at a symposium on ‘Replanet – Reuse, Recycle, Reimagine’, an initiative of The Times of India in association with Coca-Cola India, to promote the concept of a circular economy.
It entails markets that give incentives to reuse products rather than scrapping them and extracting new resources. Held in Ahmedabad on Thursday, the event was attended by ministers, policy makers, bureaucrats, and leaders of the industry engaged in activities related to the circular economy. Shreeshan Venkatesh of Climate Trends, knowledge partner for the initiative, moderated the session.
“Following the Union government’s decision to take up the cause of circular economy on mission mode, the Gujarat government initiated several steps to promote circular economy. While people’s participation is indispensable, the government has been incentivizing industries to take up recycling and reusing resources,” the minister said.
The minister of state for forests and environment, Mukesh Patel, echoed the government’s resolve to promote a circular economy, stating the concept of using waste materials from one sector as raw material for another is being enabled in a big way. Policy makers and recycling industry representatives deliberated on the challenges faced, the funding models available, and opportunities for circular economy.
Terming the idea of a circular economy as “vibrant”, additional chief secretary of forests and environment, Arunkumar Solanki, thanked The Times of India for propagating the concept. “Replanet is the final goal of reusing, recycling, redesigning and re-engineering. The current linear economy should be moulded into the circular economy,” he said.
The official added that the Gujarat government is also formulating policies and forming task forces for various departments based on the Centre’s policies. “We will develop a policy to support recyclers and others in the chain. Industries and recyclers who want to be part of the circular economy should be supported with various financial benefits and policy initiations. The Gujarat government is working in this direction,” he said.
D M Thaker, member secretary of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), said it is essential to formulate policies and strategies for recycling and reuse responsibly. “The gaps should be identified, and line departments and sectors should be brought on a single platform. Gaps in regulation regimes and policies should be looked at closely. Dots must be joined to create a sound ecosystem for a circular economy. The informal sector also needs to be integrated into the circular economy chain,” he opined.
Ahmedabad municipal commissioner M Thennarasan said that about 47% of the state’s population lives in urban areas. Some estimates say about 75% of the planet’s population will live in urban areas by 2050. “One can imagine the amount of waste that will be generated, and it will be a considerable task to convert these challenges into opportunities.
He added that AMC hopes to achieve “zero-waste city” status shortly. “I think we will reach that goal. With support at the policy level, the challenges can be overcome, and a robust circular economy model can be made operational,” he said.
Citing an example of how a circular economy model can be financially viable, Vadodara municipal commissioner Banchha Nidhi Pani said, “About 115MLD of drainage water is recycled and supplied to industries. The Surat Municipal Corporation earns Rs 140 crore through this. If all 1,800MLD of drainage water received is recycled and provided to industries, there is a scope of earning over Rs 2,000 crore.”
Giving the recycling industry’s perspective, Arjun Handa, VC and MD of Claris group, said waste segregation is still a big issue. “Waste-topower plants are coming up faster than waste-to-gas plants in India, and technology is a huge challenge. Every state needs to have an integrated waste management policy or integrated circularity policy where all aspects are clearly defined,” he asserted.
He said the Union government is doing considerable work to boost sustainable development. “The Union ministry of environment, the NITI Aayog and other agencies are taking many proactive steps. However, smaller execution-based challenges can be removed with policybased initiatives,” he stated.