Delhi: Sangli Apartments certified ‘Anupam Colony’ for zero-waste practices

Sangli Apartments on Copernicus Marg has become the eighth residential colony in the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) area to be certified as an “Anupam Colony” under civic body’s zero-waste and sustainability initiative.

NDMC chairperson Keshav Chandra unveiled the certification plaque on Monday, recognising the residential complex for achieving 100 per cent segregation of waste at source and adopting scientific waste management practices.

Addressing residents and officials, Chandra said the certification reflected the growing participation of citizens in environmental conservation efforts and highlighted the role of communities in building sustainable urban neighbourhoods.

“This is the eighth colony to receive the Anupam Colony certification and the first defence services residential colony to achieve this distinction. The active involvement of residents has made it possible to implement advanced waste segregation and management systems,” he said.

The colony has established a comprehensive waste management ecosystem that includes segregation of waste at source, on-site composting of wet and horticulture waste, a material recovery facility (MRF) for dry waste and facilities promoting reuse and recycling through initiatives such as the RRR (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) centre and “Neki Ki Deewar”.

Officials said the colony has introduced multiple bins for segregating various categories of waste, including recyclable materials, sanitary waste, e-waste and horticulture waste, helping reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills.

Chandra said the Anupam Colony initiative forms a key part of the NDMC’s broader sustainability agenda aimed at creating environmentally conscious and self-sustaining residential communities. Colonies are awarded the certification after achieving complete waste segregation and ensuring scientific processing of waste within their premises.

Sangli Apartments Residents’ Welfare Association president Air Commodore Umesh P Nagarale termed the recognition a matter of pride, noting that the colony had become the first among defence officers’ residential colonies to receive the certification. He said residents had long maintained high standards of cleanliness and greenery, and the adoption of scientific waste segregation would further strengthen these efforts.

The NDMC officials said the initiative seeks to reduce dependence on landfills, promote resource recovery and encourage resident welfare associations to adopt sustainable waste management practices as part of the vision for a cleaner and greener capital.