Rourkela, India
“Climate change solutions, women empowerment, social inclusion have been the core themes of this project and are the driving forces toward strengthening the local economy during COVID and the post COVID scenario. We are very hopeful that our solution will be scaled up in various parts of India and that Rourkela city will act as a role model for many other cities.” Dibyajyoti Parida, IAS. Hon. Commissioner, Municipal Corporation and CEO Rourkela Smart City
Empowering female food entrepreneurs
Winner of the 2021 Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Mayors Challenge for the city's solar-powered cold storage rooms. The cold storage facilities provide local farmers with a place to store their market produce safe from the heat, which in turn increases produce market viability and farmer income. The cold storage rooms are run by groups of women entrepreneurs and provide women's economic development opportunities at the nexus of agriculture, economy, and renewable energy.
Photo: Soumya Sucharita Dash
Prior to the Mayors Challenge, vegetable vendors like Sawyer Mahato and others didn’t have access to cold storage to keep their unsold produce at the end of the day, forcing them to throw it away or sell it for less than its worth.