Pimpri-Chinchwad gets global honour in urban innovation

There was tough competition among193 cities and regions from 54 countries for the prestigious honour. Pimpri Chinchwad stood out for its commitment to innovation, effectiveness, and sustainable urban development, officials said.

The initiative not only reflects gender mainstreaming in the sanitation value chain but also showcases the success of public-community partnerships and efficient administration.

Expressing his gratitude to all stakeholders, PCMC commissioner Shekhar Singh said, “This recognition is a tribute to our community’s dedication to transformative urban solutions. The Navi Disha initiative, driven by the efforts of women groups, exemplifies our commitment to inclusive and sustainable development. We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the stakeholders including citizens and public representatives for this global recognition.”

Singh added, “We plan to scale up the Navi Disha initiative to engage more women and increase the beneficiaries by three-fold in the coming months.”

Officials said a distinguished technical committee, comprising international experts, was convened at the Guangzhou Library from September 11 to 14, earlier this year to rigorously evaluate submissions.

Their meticulous selection process was guided by criteria such as innovation, effectiveness, context, and replicability, all closely tied to the pursuit of local implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the New Urban Agenda (NUA).

The final 15 shortlisted cities included – Pimpri-Chinchwad, India; Antalya, Türkiye; Bogotá, Colombia; Cape Town, South Africa; Gwangju, Korea; Halandri, Greece; Iztapalapa, Mexico; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kampala, Uganda; Kazan, Russia; Mannheim, Germany; Ramallah, Palestine; São Paulo, Brazil; Tehran, Iran; and Xianning, China.