Rourkela, Odisha, is one of 15 cities around the world to win Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Global Mayors Challenge for 2021-2022.
Cities were recognised for inventing the most daring and ambitious municipal initiatives to emerge from the global Covid-19 outbreak at the prestigious global innovation competition.
In a news statement, Bloomberg Philanthropies stated, “The yearlong competition inaugurated in 2021 elevates the most potential urban solutions to emerge from the pandemic.”
The tournament attracted 631 cities from 99 different nations.
According to the statement, Rourkela won the award for giving “cold-storage units to women co-ops to empower female food vendors, minimise food waste, and boost access to fresh foods.”
Rourkela is also the only Indian city to make it into the Top 15. Rourkela’s plan was to build a digitized cluster based on solar cold storage and transport perishable goods to diverse consumer groups using electric vehicles.
This qualifies the city for a one-million-dollar grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies as well as technical help to implement the idea over the next three years.
Rourkela has established a sustainable model that increases the income of women and small-time traders in the city while promoting the use of technology as part of the Global Mayors Challenge. Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) has established a cold storage facility at the local Veer Surendra Sai (VSS) Market as part of the initiative, which is run by women self-help group members in collaboration with an NIT Rourkela-based business.
Local farmers and fruit sellers have been able to increase their income by conserving their produce and minimising wastage thanks to this approach.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are also delivered to people’s doorsteps, notably during Covid-19. Members of women’s self-help groups use smartphone applications to manage the system. While the model develops the ecosystem and benefits all stakeholders, it mostly benefits women by enhancing their livelihoods.
Prasanta Patnaik