The EcoGram Project, an initiative of The Anonymous Indian Charitable Trust (TAICT), has completed a decade of work with the Bettahalasuru Gram Panchayat in North Bengaluru to build a replicable model for sustainable waste, water and soil management. What began as a pilot in Tarahunise village in 2016 now spans 10 villages and 4,802 households. Over the past decade, EcoGram has saved 19,623 cubic metres of landfill space, equivalent to approximately 16 acre-feet, while recycling 1,524 MT of dry waste. Its interventions have also saved 8,647 trees through paper recycling, conserved 3,343 MWh of energy, saved 1,505 KL of fuel and reduced 5,583 MT of CO₂ equivalent emissions through FY26.
Myriam Shankar, Managing Trustee, TAICT, said, “Introducing source segregation in a locality where the practice had never existed was an uphill task. It required sustained engagement with local government representatives, villagers and commercial establishments, alongside the infrastructure, people and operations needed to make the system work. Over the past decade, we have built an end-to-end model spanning collection, transportation, secondary segregation and processing, with the active involvement of the local community.”
Mr. Jitendra Virwani, Chairman, Embassy Group, who has supported the project since its inception, said, “The most important lesson from EcoGram is that lasting environmental change begins with local ownership. Over the last decade, the people of Bettahalasuru, the Panchayat and project partners have shown that when communities are equipped with the right systems, solutions can become part of everyday life. What has taken shape here is a practical model that other communities can learn from and adapt to their own needs.”
The decade milestone was commemorated at the EcoHub in Bettahalasuru, the Panchayat’s Integrated Solid Waste Management Centre, bringing together community members, waste workers, Panchayat representatives and project partners. Smt. Meena Sheshadri, wife of Shri Krishna Byre Gowda, Hon’ble Minister for Greater Bengaluru Development, Government of Karnataka, attended as Chief Guest, with Mr. Virwani as Guest of Honour. Frontline workers were felicitated, while 30 Gram Panchayat members were recognised for their contribution to local environmental initiatives.
A key pillar of EcoGram is its integrated waste management system, built around the 2Bin1Bag model and the EcoHub. The system covers source segregation, collection, sorting and processing, with primary segregation crossing 96% in recent years. Wet waste is processed through biomethanisation and composting, while dry waste is sorted for recycling.
The initiative has also supported with the upkeep and beautification of Tarahunise and Thimmasandra Lakes, through measures including bund strengthening, vetiver planting and floating treatment wetlands. Biodiversity assessments at Tarahunise Lake have documented 469 species. In addition, agroforestry interventions have converted 11 acres of eucalyptus plantations into Malabar Neem and Silver Oak.
EcoGram has combined environmental action with opportunities for local livelihoods. Threads of Life, launched in 2022 with the Yuvalok Foundation, has enabled 169 local women to graduate from tailoring and skill-building programmes. Through its ReThread initiative, trainees have since upcycled more than 1,280 products from post-consumer textile waste.
The Bettahalasur Gram Panchayat, through EcoGram, has received several national accolades over the years, including the Gandhi Grama Puraskar Award for Sanitation, recognising its work in improving sanitation and environmental practices.
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