Aruna Raghavan

Indian environmental activist who pioneered community-based waste management systems in urban slums

Aruna Raghavan (b. 1965) is a visionary environmentalist and social entrepreneur who transformed waste management practices in India's urban slums. In 1992, she founded Hasiru Dala, a grassroots organization that empowers marginalized communities to manage their own waste through innovative composting and recycling techniques. Her work has diverted over 500 tons of waste daily from landfills in Bangalore alone, creating sustainable livelihoods for thousands of waste pickers.

Raghavan's approach combines ecological science with grassroots organizing, training women's self-help groups to operate decentralized waste processing units. This model has been replicated in 12 Indian states and inspired similar initiatives in Kenya and Brazil. Her 2003 TED Talk 'The Waste Revolution' remains a seminal resource for urban sustainability efforts.