Vruthi Campaign

Why in News? Kerala has recently launched the ‘Vruthi’ campaign

• It involves widespread participation, including government officials, celebrities, schoolchildren, sanitation workers and local representatives.
• ‘Vruthi 2025: The Clean Kerala Conclave’ in Thiruvananthapuram saw the participation of 25,000 people, highlighting the success in waste collection from 75% of houses (up from 40% a year ago.)

Relevance : UPSC Pre &  Mains

Prelims : Vruthi Campaign/

Mains :   GS Paper 1: Society –Urbanization Issues /GS Paper 3: Environment and Sustainability

Why was this campaign necessary?

• Kerala traditionally managed organic waste through backyard use like composting.
• Post-liberalization, changes in consumer behavior and product materiality led to non-organic waste that could not be easily disposed of.
• Rapid urbanization and a shrinking agriculture sector (less than 10% of GDP) exacerbated the problem.
• Waste management became a critical issue for governance and public health, drawing parallels with historical urban reforms driven by health crises.

What is being done?

• Kerala launched the ‘Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam’ campaign for garbage-free Kerala, connecting all key stakeholders.
• Addressed challenges like:

• Sanitation worker accidents.
• Increasing dog bites.
• Frequent zoonotic disease outbreaks.

• Measures included:

• Strengthening Haritha Karmasena (Green Task Force).
• Encouraging locality-based campaigns and competitive spirit among local governments.
• Engaging youth, schools, and voluntary groups.

How is it different from the Swachh Bharat Mission?

• Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM): Top-down, supply-driven, focusing on infrastructure like toilets and waste treatment plants.
• Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam: Bottom-up, focusing on behavioral change and decentralized solutions.
• The Vruthi Conclave avoided a fixed framework, instead enabling cities to adopt context-specific solutions, from Black Soldier Fly composting to Windrow Composting.

Are centralised or decentralised solutions better?

• Emphasis on learning from both successes and failures of centralised and decentralised approaches.
• Success examples:

• Guruvayur Municipality’s waste treatment (centralised).
• Decentralised solutions in several local governments.

• Failures:

• Brahmapuram fires of 2023 due to centralised system mismanagement.

• Recommendation: Strengthen professional services and improve capacity at the local level.

What lies ahead?

• Concerns about sustainability: Will the momentum continue if the State government withdraws?
• Need for stronger Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, shifting waste management responsibility to producers.
• Promote the slogan: ‘My waste, my responsibility’ for behavioral change at all levels.

 Is building collectives important?

• Building and engaging people’s collectives (schools, enterprises, workers’ associations) is essential for the campaign’s success.
• Kerala’s success in human and sustainable development indices positions it to become a model for waste management.

Other Important Initiatives :

Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Holistic Waste Management

• Key Features:

  • Consistently ranked as the cleanest city in the Swachh Survekshan rankings.

  • 100% door-to-door waste collection and segregation at source.

  • Conversion of organic waste into biogas and compost.

  • Use of plastic waste in road construction.

• Impact: Became a model city for waste management and cleanliness.

2. Ambikapur, Chhattisgarh: Zero-Waste Model:

• Key Features:

  • Implemented the “Solid Liquid Resource Management” (SLRM) model.

  • Separate collection of biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and recyclable waste.

  • Waste converted into compost, bio-fertilizers, and reusable materials.

• Impact: Declared a “Zero Waste City,” creating employment for women self-help groups.

3. Alappuzha, Kerala: Decentralized Waste Management:

• Key Features:

  • Focus on home composting and community-based waste management.

  • Introduction of pipe-composting systems in households.

  • Ban on plastic bags and promotion of alternatives.

• Impact: Recognized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a model city for waste management.

4. Panaji, Goa: Segregation at Source:

• Key Features:

  • Mandatory segregation of waste at source into dry, wet, and hazardous categories.

  • Use of Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) for processing dry waste.

  • Active citizen participation and awareness programs.

• Impact: Achieved over 90% segregation at the household level.

5. Mysuru, Karnataka: Citizen-Driven Waste Management:

• Key Features:

  • Door-to-door waste collection with high citizen involvement.

  • Composting and recycling facilities.

  • Public awareness campaigns on reducing plastic usage.

• Impact: Frequently ranked among the cleanest cities in India.

6. Pune, Maharashtra: SWaCH Model:

• Key Features:

• Partnership with the SWaCH cooperative of waste pickers for door-to-door collection.
• Recycling of dry waste by waste pickers.
• Decentralized composting for wet waste.

• Impact: Empowered waste pickers and improved waste collection efficiency.

7. Surat, Gujarat: Waste-to-Energy:

• Key Features:

• Focus on generating energy from waste.
• Use of technology to process organic waste into biogas.
• Modernized garbage transport and disposal system.

• Impact: Improved waste management and reduced landfill usage.

8. Bengaluru, Karnataka: Dry Waste Collection Centers (DWCCs):

• Key Features:

• Establishment of decentralized DWCCs in various wards.
• Community engagement in segregation and recycling efforts.
• Waste-to-compost initiatives for organic waste.

• Impact: Strengthened dry waste recycling and reduced environmental burden.

9. Warangal, Telangana: Integrated Solid Waste Management:

• Key Features:

• Comprehensive solid waste management with a focus on reducing landfill dependency.
• Utilization of wet waste for composting and biogas production.
• Active citizen participation in waste segregation.

• Impact: Enhanced cleanliness and waste processing efficiency.

10. Sikkim: Plastic-Free State:

• Key Features:

• Ban on single-use plastics and effective enforcement.
• Encouragement of eco-friendly packaging and waste reduction strategies.
• Promotion of home and community composting.

• Impact: Recognized as one of the cleanest states in India.