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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Textile recycling drive uplifts Navi Mumbai women

AI generated image Mumbai :  A quiet revolution is unfolding in Navi Mumbai’s Belapur – one that converts old clothes into new livelihoods - and transforms the lives of over 150 women participating in it.   The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), has set up India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0” – empowering many humble home-makers and other women to rewrite their futures.   Working in the TRF...

Textile recycling drive uplifts Navi Mumbai women

AI generated image Mumbai :  A quiet revolution is unfolding in Navi Mumbai’s Belapur – one that converts old clothes into new livelihoods - and transforms the lives of over 150 women participating in it.   The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), has set up India’s first municipal Textile Recovery Facility (TRF) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0” – empowering many humble home-makers and other women to rewrite their futures.   Working in the TRF initiatives linked to textile recovery and upcycling, now the women earn between Rs 9,000-Rs 15,000 – catapulting them from the socio-economic margins into a growing ‘green economy’- gaining skills, confidence and financial independence.   The TRF’s pilot project has so far reached more than 1.15 lakh families and connected with over 350 housing societies through awareness drives and workshops. At the heart of this are Self Help Groups (SHGs), where women are trained, supported and encouraged to build their own micro-enterprises, said a NMMC official, preferring anonymity.   “At least 300 women of different age groups, mostly semi-literate and from lower-middle-class strata of society, have completed intensive training modules. They are now experts at identifying different fabrics, repairing them creatively, and selling their beautifully recycled products through different platforms,” the official told  The Perfect Voice .   The Belapur TRF is a sight to behold – there are piles of dirty, old, worn and torn saris, uniforms, sheets, denims and other fabrics. The teams of women carefully sort, assess, clean, and repurpose each clothing into something new, using a mix of hands-on expertise and technology. They decide what can be reused, recycled, or upcycled into a new product adding value to it, the official said.   The results are both practical and stunning – there are stacks of new bags, mats, pouches, garments, home décor, paper and other useful items born from their skilled hands – adding to a range of more than 400 such products.   There is no shortage of raw material as the three-month-old initiative has collected 30 tonnes textile waste, scientifically sorted over 25 tonnes, processed more than 41,000 items or 500 daily – diverting a significant volume away from landfills and ultimate waterbodies.   The waste collection is decentralized – 140 branded textile bins are placed in housing societies in eight NMMC Wards, with a target of 250 bins in the next few weeks – ensuring quick access and citizen involvement, thereby indirectly contributing to improving the lives of the women and SHGs silently ushering in the eco-friendly revolution. To promote awareness and exploit the markets, the TRF has participated in 30-plus exhibitions, and multiple public awareness events on the benefits of repurposing textile wastes using hand-held scanners, digital tracking and other resources – while pushing forward the PM’s dreams of Smart Cities Mission and Sustainable Development Goals.   Another TRF in Koparkhairane Buoyed by the success of the Belapur pilot, the NMMC plans to open a permanent, higher capacity TRF in Koparkhairane soon.   Since India generates an estimated 7.8 million tonnes of textile wastes each year, experts feel this could be trendsetter both in terms of environmental impact and generating dignified employment for the marginalized sections of society.   There were many early cynics, critics and challenges, but through a steady outreach, consistent engagement, deploying fibre-scanning technology and sheer dedication of the women helped iron out the teething problems to help materialise the dreams in NMMC.

US Vice President JD Vance, his family arrive in Delhi

  • PTI
  • Apr 21, 2025
  • 2 min read


NEW DELHI: US Vice President J D Vance arrived here on Monday on a four-day visit to India against the backdrop of ongoing negotiations for a bilateral trade agreement between the two strategic partners to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance is accompanied by his Indian-origin wife Usha Chilukuri and their three children Ewan, Vivek, Mirabel and a delegation of senior US government officials.


The US Vice President and the Second Lady were received at the Palam air base by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.


The American leader was also accorded a ceremonial welcome on his arrival.

In the evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a dinner for the Vances after holding wide-ranging talks with the US Vice President.


External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Indian ambassador to US Vinay Mohan Kwatra are expected to be part of the Indian team to be led by PM Modi at the talks.


The focus of the meeting is likely to be on early finalisation of the proposed bilateral trade pact as well as ways to boost overall trajectory of ties between the two countries.


Besides Delhi, Vance and his family will travel to Jaipur and Agra.

Vance's first visit to India comes weeks after US President Donald Trump imposed and then paused a sweeping tariff regime against around 60 countries, including India.


New Delhi and Washington are now holding negotiations to seal a bilateral trade agreement that is expected to address a variety of issues, including tariff and market access.


Vance and his family are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on Monday night.

In Delhi, the US Vice President and his family are staying at the ITC Maurya Sheraton hotel.


On April 22, the Vances will visit a number of historical sites in Jaipur, including the Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort. The fort is a UNESCO world heritage site.


In the afternoon, the US Vice President is scheduled to address a gathering at the Rajasthan International Centre in Jaipur.


Vance is expected to delved into broader aspects of India-US relations under the Donald Trump administration during his speech that is expected to be attended by diplomats, foreign policy experts, Indian government officials and academia.


The US Vice President and his family will travel to Agra on the morning of April 23, people familiar with the matter said.


In Agra, they will visit the Taj Mahal and Shilpgram which is an open air emporium showcasing various Indian artefacts, they said.


After concluding their visit to Agra, the Vances will return to Jaipur on the second half of April 23.


The US Vice President and his family will depart for the US from Jaipur on April 24, according to the people cited above.

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