Managing Local Pollution

Overview

Rapid urbanisation and industrial growth have made air pollution one of India’s most urgent environmental and public health challenges. iFOREST’s Managing Local Pollution programme addresses this by combining research, policy, and on-ground action to reduce emissions and environmental hazards. 

At the heart of the programme, Air Pollution interventions target major sources such as unmitigated fuel use, MSMEs, and agricultural residue burning, along with short-lived climate pollutants like black carbon and methane. We support states and cities in designing and implementing clean air action plans, strengthening by-laws, controlling dust and open burning, and deploying cost-effective monitoring through sensors, CEMS, and satellites. Capacity-building equips policymakers, regulators, industries, and Urban Local Bodies to sustain long-term impact. 

Our Solid Waste and Plastics interventions prevent pollution at its source by helping Urban Local Bodies adopt structured, data-driven systems for segregation, recycling, and safe disposal, including biomedical waste. In plastics, we reduce dependence, promote circularity and alternatives, and strengthen enforcement to curb leakage into waterways. These measures reduce emissions and environmental hazards, empower local governments, and translate research and policy into cleaner, healthier, and more resilient communities.

Air Pollution

iFOREST’s work on air pollution spans cutting-edge research, policy development, strategic planning, capacity development, and implementation support for states and cities in India and the Global South. Our research covers pollution mitigation from major sources such as unmitigated fuel use, agricultural residue burning, cooking and heating fuels, construction dust, and MSME sectors. It also includes solutions for short-lived climate pollutants and pollution monitoring using smart sensors, CEMS, and satellites. Partnering with states such as Uttar Pradesh, Assam, and Maharashtra, we support the development of state action plans, policies, and tailored strategies. At the regional and city levels, we promote evidence-based action plans and invest in building the capacity of local bodies to strengthen implementation.

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Solid Waste Management

iFOREST advances sustainable municipal waste management through circular economy principles, data-driven systems, decentralized technologies, and community participation.
Our work includes waste inventorisation studies, third-party audits, waste management plans, techno-economic assessments, and hands-on implementation support under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban and Rural). We also train Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), pollution control boards, industry, NGOs, and health departments to strengthen both municipal and biomedical waste management.

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Plastics Management

iFOREST advances plastic waste management in India through a comprehensive approach that combines data-driven research, strategy development, and the creation of tools and methodologies to strengthen monitoring, compliance, and enforcement. Our work focuses on promoting circularity in plastic packaging, advancing alternatives to plastics, enhancing Extended Producer Responsibility, and reducing overall plastic dependence.

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