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“This is a sustainable model, and the results are in front of
the nation.”
NEERI, Abhishek explored an unconventional solution: planting bamboo over
these ash ponds. The rationale was simple: bamboo requires minimal water and
less soil stability than other plants, making it ideal for such challenging terrains.
After seven to eight years, the result was a transformative “green forest of bam
boo”, dramatically reducing wind-blown litter by 90 to 95% in that area. The
bamboo leaves effectively trapped the dust, and during the rainy season, the
dust and beneficial micronutrients from the leaves returned to the soil, creating
a self-sustaining ecosystem.
This success story vividly illustrates Abhishek’s core philosophy regarding sus
tainability, which he frames around the “3 E’s: that is, ecology, environment, and
economy”. He posits that if these three interconnected pillars are disturbed, true
sustainability becomes unattainable. The bamboo forest project demonstrates
this tripartite equilibrium with clarity: ecologically, it revitalizes barren and pol
luted land; environmentally, it mitigates air pollution; and economically, it trans
forms an industrial waste product into a valuable natural resource. These are not
isolated examples but systemic solutions, emerging from an understanding of
complex interdependencies.
Navigating Complexity: The Human Element
in Large-Scale Projects
Implementing large-scale waste management solutions, however technologi
cally sound, inevitably confronts a crucible of human dynamics. Abhishek une
quivocally states that building trust and fostering cooperation in complex public
projects is “the tough task”. It is not a matter of immediate transactional trust,
but a carefully cultivated relationship. His experience reveals that technical
advisors must demonstrate their solutions through tangible results. This often
necessitates initial, unfunded pilot studies, showing “what the major goal will
look like or what the entire city will look like”. Stakeholders, particularly urban
local bodies (ULBs) and government entities, can only commit to complex pub
lic-private partnerships. This pragmatic approach acknowledges that public
funding cannot encompass every project, particularly given governments’ myri
ad responsibilities, from border security to healthcare and education.
The intricacies of implementation in India are further compounded by its unpar
alleled diversity. Abhishek’s work across different states, from Madhya Pradesh
to Uttar Pradesh and coastal Maharashtra, exposed him to a critical, often un
derestimated, variable: language and local context. He discovered that effective