29/10/2026
At , the session "Circular Cities: Rethinking Urban Systems" explored pathways to a circular economy across water, food, waste and materials in the . Bringing together policymakers, local governments and key stakeholders, the session highlighted practical solutions and the policies, governance structures, and innovation needed to scale them up.
In his Keynote Address, KP Vivekanand Goud, Member, Telangana Legislative Assembly, highlighted the need for cities to transition from linear "take-make-dispose" models to circular frameworks focused on "use, reuse, repair, recover, recycle, and regenerate".
Highlighting the need for policies to focus on economic drivers, Kiran Dighavkar, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (Solid Waste Management), MyBmc said "why must waste management become only a social responsibility.. Why not we bring profitability in the waste management?”
Ahmed Raza, Senior Policy Officer, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) focused on the triple crisis of climate change, land degradation, and biodiversity loss faced by food systems and recommended that urban local bodies should establish multi-stakeholder city platforms and consumer engagement initiatives (such as the "Food Heroes" campaign) to drive long-term systemic change.
Key takeaways:
🔷 Cities must go beyond recycling to prioritise waste prevention, source segregation, reuse, repair and material recovery, and integrate water reuse, local food systems and resource efficiency into urban planning.
🔷Waste-to-energy plants and other processing facilities are not inherently sustainable. Transparent, independent monitoring of emissions, groundwater quality and pollution is essential to ensure that waste treatment does not create new environmental risks.
🔷Long-term behavioural change requires more than awareness campaigns. Four-way segregation, targeted behavioural nudges, school and youth engagement, and trained municipal frontline workers can strengthen community participation and compliance.
🔷Private waste operators need realistic revenue models combining capital investment support, processing or tipping fees, and viable EPR mechanisms. Stronger financial frameworks are essential to attract investment and scale up sustainable waste solutions.
🔷Smaller cities can pool waste across neighbouring municipalities to achieve viable processing volumes for Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs), while decentralised neighbourhood-level solutions and rapid organic waste processing can enable more efficient, locally appropriate waste management.
Central Pollution Control Board
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs | National Institute of Urban Affairs | Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India |
