Articles by Mansi Patel

Mansi Patel is a research associate with the community engagement initiative at the Azim Premji University. Her primary work focuses on understanding the local community's perspective and behaviour towards waste. She has been instrumental in developing a community focused practice to build rapport, understand problems, and encourage composting and sustainable practices to the community while aiding the local government bodies to bring about policy level changes.

In a quiet corner of Buragunte village, a transformation has been taking shape — one that turns kitchen waste into nourishment for the land and, in turn, provides food for the families of the women who made it happen. What started as a simple conversation has now evolved into a collective effort, spearheaded by one determined woman, Lalitha Akka.  Residents of Buragunte village under Anekal Taluk in Sarjapura, had long followed the waste disposal practice most commonly observed in our cities and towns — they would simply hand over their mixed waste to the collection vehicle from Billapura Gram Panchayat,…

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