PARIVARTHANA

Propagating the idea of waste as a resource, Parivarthana utilizes dry wastes by converting them into beautiful and useful handmade, eco-friendly products. These products are marketed and revenue is used for the underprivileged women who work for Parivarthana. Decentralized Waste Management Practices of the unit primarily focuses on educating the student community, waste paper recycling, composting unit, biogas energy generation from food waste, livelihood creation for the CIGs (22 women annually benefit). For educational and sensitisation purposes; awareness rallies and street plays, school eco-conservation programmes, formation of streetwise eco-clubs (about 250 slum children), and organizing exposure visits for various stakeholders are conducted.

Parivarthana Unit is the decentralized, waste-management unit in the campus of CHRIST (Deemed to be University) that started in 2008. The aim is to create social and ecological impact along with ensuring the proper waste-management practices; with the help of the women working in the unit and all Christites. Its main objective is to ensure that Christ University is a zero-waste campus by recycling any possible waste material.

The unit runs with the help of the student volunteers and women working in the unit; supported by Christ. The unit aims at sensitizing the students and faculties on a range of issues regarding waste management with a focus on 3R’s.

Production of around 1000 to 1200 kilograms of waste

• Over 1 ton of waste segregated
• Different types of wastes are recycled in different ways
• Waste is collected from waste-disposal bins placed at different points on the campus by the staff working at the Parivarthana Unit
• The waste is segregated into wet waste and dry waste 

Answer sheets, question papers, excess newspapers, and much more, a large variety of paper waste is produced on our campus.

The paper recycling unit on campus personifies ‘best out of waste’ by creating beautiful products from all forms of paper waste.

The wet (food and vegetable) waste on campus goes through the process of composting as stated below and the manure created is sold to external buyers. 

In a university campus consisting of around 20,000 people, wastewater constitutes an enormous part of the waste generated on campus. At a time where water scarcity is at its paramount, water treatment becomes the need of the hour. All the wastewater on campus is treated and reused at the Parivarthana unit.

On a daily basis, approximately 500 kilograms of food waste is collected on campus. They are then placed into the Bio Gas plant, which has a sewage collector, consisting of an upper and lower chamber. The biogas flows through pipes to the kitchens in the Dharmaram campus, where it is used for everyday cooking. The biogas plant produces 25 kg of LPG daily.

Parivarthana unit is a perfect example of the “unity that binds together” because of all the people working there. The most recent one, in 2019, includes the formation of a Self-Help Group within the Parivarthana Women Common Interest Group (CIG). The main purpose of the SHG is to orient women towards holistic empowerment and financial stability.