BHARUCH (India CSR): DCM Shriram Foundation, the philanthropic arm of DCM Shriram Ltd., in collaboration with the Bharuch District Administration, organised a three-day exposure visit to demonstrate the pioneering Zero Waste, Zero Cost rural solid waste management model implemented at Jhagadia Gram Panchayat.
Conducted under the guidance of District Magistrate, Bharuch City, Shri Gaurang Makwana, and District Development Officer, Shri Yogesh Shivkumar Kapase, the programme brought together 123 Panchayat Secretaries (Talatis) from across the district. The visit equipped them with practical insights into sustainable rural sanitation systems that can be replicated across villages in line with the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Over the course of three days, all participants engaged in live demonstrations, hands-on sessions, and interactive learning modules on:
- Household-level and community-level waste segregation
- Low-cost composting methods
- Decentralised waste processing techniques
- Safe disposal practices suited to rural settings
- Showcase of Gujarat’s First Sanitation Park

The immersive exposure enabled Talatis to understand how wet and dry waste streams can be managed through simple, community-centred solutions that require minimal financial inputs but deliver high social and environmental returns. The programme also emphasised the role of behaviour change, community engagement, and local ownership in ensuring long-term sustainability of sanitation systems.
The initiative witnessed active participation from key district officials, including Dy. DDO (Panchayat) Nikunj Patel, Dy. DDO (Revenue) Shri G. M. Borad, and TDO Jhagadia Shri Dhruv Patel, who interacted with the participants and underlined the critical need to strengthen rural sanitation structures at the grassroots level.
Representatives from DCM Shriram Foundation facilitated demonstrations, sharing insights from ongoing sanitation interventions and reinforcing the value of collaborative, scalable approaches to waste management.
DCM Shriram Foundation remains committed to working closely with district authorities and local institutions to advance cost-effective, community-driven, and environmentally sustainable sanitation models that help build cleaner, healthier villages across Bharuch.
(India CSR)
