Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and Delhi Metro Ladies Welfare Organization (DLWO) signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM) of Delhi Government and textile recycling organizations ‘Clothes Box Foundation’ and ‘Respawn’. During this time Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was also present. Under this initiative, an old clothes donation scheme (Old Clothes Donation Project) is being launched in Delhi, which aims to prevent old and used clothes from going to landfills, reduce textile waste and promote circular economy through recycling and upcycling.
Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said that the Delhi government is committed to promoting environmental protection, waste management and women empowerment. This initiative will not only reduce textile waste, but will also inspire citizens to become active participants in building a clean and sustainable Delhi. DMRC Managing Director Dr. Vikas Kumar and officials of the institutions were also present in this program.
Under this project, collection centers named ‘Arpan’ will be set up at 10 stations of Delhi Metro to collect unused clothes kept in people’s homes. Along with this, kiosks (booths) will also be set up for the sale of recycled and upcycled products. In the first phase, ‘Arpan’ centers will be started at Shahdara, Dr. Baba Saheb Ambedkar Hospital, Malviya Nagar, Hauz Khas, Dwarka, Mohan Estate, Lajpat Nagar, Mayur Vihar Phase-1, Punjabi Bagh West and Shalimar Bagh metro stations within the next few days. Here citizens will be able to easily donate their old clothes from 7 am to 7 pm.
Clothes will be distributed in different categories
CM said that the collected clothes will be divided into different categories. The first category will include clothes from which self-help groups can make bags, decorative items and other useful products. In the second category, completely unusable clothes will be recycled and converted into new products and raw materials. Apart from this, the clothes and other religious materials used in worship will also be respectfully reused and recycled so that the sentiments of the people are respected.
Rekha Gupta said that the government is also developing different solutions for broken statues, plastic waste and other waste materials. He believes that if scientific and systematic solutions are prepared for every type of waste, then Delhi can be freed from these complex problems to a great extent. He said that currently 10 ‘Arpan Kendras’ are being established, but in future they will be expanded to all areas of Delhi.
Specialty of Arpan Centers
Under this project, these collection centers will be operated by women of Self Help Groups (SHGs) associated with the State Urban Livelihood Mission (SULM) of Delhi Government. They will be given special training in upcycling and recycling of clothes so that they can become financially self-reliant. A part of the donated clothes will also be made available to them for upcycling. ‘Clothes Box Foundation’ and ‘Respoon’ will handle the entire process of segregation, recycling and upcycling of the collected clothes. Products made from recycling and upcycling will also be sold at these centres, which will promote the circular economy model.
People will also be able to do digital registration of donations
Under this initiative, citizens will also be able to get digital registration of their clothes donation done by scanning the QR code by visiting the kiosks installed at metro stations. They will enter their name, mobile number and details of donated clothes, after which they will immediately get a digital certificate. The old clothes collected will be separated on the basis of their utility. The clothes that are usable will be converted into bags, apparel and other useful items through upcycling. At the same time, unused clothes will be used to make new threads and clothes through recycling.
All donations will be digitally mapped with the respective metro stations, ensuring real-time tracking and reporting. A centralized admin dashboard has also been developed for this initiative, through which authorized officials will be able to monitor donations received at various centres. This system will promote transparency, accountability and development as well as connect citizens with environmental protection and social participation.
Also read: CM Rekha Gupta attacks AAP on Tahir Hussain’s conviction, seeks answer from Kejriwal
Leave a Reply