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
Rourkela's produce entrepreneurs face a longstanding lack of storage facilities, limiting the shelf life of their goods. By providing women entrepreneurs access to cold-storage units, Rourkela is reducing food waste and prolonging the window for produce to be sold. This offers multiple benefits, such as women's economic empowerment, food security, and mobility in a single initiative. Since most vendors are women, women's federations across the city will manage the storage units.
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.
