Pimpri Chinchwad receives medal of honor for urban innovation
Pimpri Chinchwad receives medal of honor for urban innovation
Pimpri, 7th December 2023:- In a remarkable achievement, Pimpri Chinchwad has been awarded the prestigious Medal of Honor at the Secretariat of Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation on Thursday held in Guangzhou, China.
The city’s groundbreaking initiative under the Navi Disha program, where women-led groups manage community toilets, was pivotal in securing this accolade.
Amidst intense competition with 193 cities and regions from 54 countries participating, Pimpri Chinchwad stood out for its commitment to innovation, effectiveness, and sustainable urban development. The initiative not only reflects gender mainstreaming in the sanitation value chain but also showcases the success of public-community partnerships and efficient administration.
Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Commissioner Shri Shekhar Singh on the achievement 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.”
Notably, a distinguished technical committee, comprising international experts, 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 include- 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.
