1960-91 : 31 years’ experience in Abrasives, Foundry-Refractories and Cement Tile industries. Indigenous production of imported items. Wrote an induction furnace refractories User Manual, which has been translated into 5 languages for distribution in 80 countries by a Swedish collaborating firm, Svenska Silika.
to 100 Municipalities, learning
and sharing information on urban Solid Waste Management (SWM).
Have personally visited 214 Indian Municipalities in every State to date (plus
21 facilities in 7 countries abroad) to inspect their waste management practices and interact with officials, thus becoming a self-educated subject expert on practical solutions to garbage and sanitation issues. Competent in very rapid status evaluation of a city’s Solid Waste Management status and possible practical solutions and best practices.
1995: Founder Member Swabhimana (NGO forum working with Bangalore City)
1995-97 Convener, Bangalore Chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art &Cultural Heritage)
1994-96 Member, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board’s ‘Save Ulsoor Lake’ Committee.
1994-96 Member, Think Tank, Karnataka Land Army Corporation
1978 to date Designed and supervised construction of 41 low-cost homes,
along with funding for 22 poultry sheds and 7 large school buildings.
1973 to date Honorary Tree Warden for Karnataka
1972-80 Executive Committee Member, World Wildlife Fund Southern Region
1969-1972 : Honorary Project Officer for an international effort to save the Gir lions (BNHS + Smithsonian Institution PL480 Project) with total responsibility for project planning, accounting, reporting, monitoring of scientific field work and liaison with State & Central Governments.
Awards:
2025: Basava Puraskar Award from Basava Parishad, recognized for outstanding contribution to social service.
2024: Kannada Rajyotsava Award for Environment, given by the
Chief Minister and Deputy Minister of Karnataka State.
2023: Women of the Year Award from Vijayavani Dighvijay, given by the
Chief Minister of Karnataka State.
2019: V. Si. Sampada Awardee
2015: Lifetime Achievement Hurrah! From Urban Sanitation
2011: Lifetime Achievement Award from Bangalore Recycling Habba
2004: Kempegowda Award-winner for Environment, given by the Chief Minister of Karnataka State.
1997:Golden Jubilee Award for Environment from Bangalore City Corporation.
1994: Economic Times’ Achiever of the Year for Environment in Karnataka.
Memberships and Talks
Life Member Bombay Natural History Society, World Wildlife Fund, Youth Hostel Assn, INTACH, Indian Institute of Foundrymen, Indian Ceramic Society, SOCLEEN (Society for Clean Environment), IPHE (Inst. of Public Health Engineers), IEA (Indian Environment Assn and member of their Think Tank).
Annual Speaker at all Institute of Indian Foundrymen Conventions,1961-90.
Speaker at 6 International Solid Waste Management Conferences: Composting at Edmonton, Canada, ISWA at Hong Kong, R ’02 at Geneva, Viet Nam for University of Toronto project, Take-It-Back 2004 at SFO, AFI Malaysia 2005, CWG-WASH Kolkata 2006.
Regular lecturer on SWM issues at numerous Indian Conferences, Seminars, Workshops and educational training programs.
Honorary Advisor / supporter / mentor of numerous students, entrepreneurs, individuals and NGOs in the fields of Environment, Solid Waste Management and Waste Water Management.
Author of numerous publications and talks on foundry, forest, environment, housing, urban planning, solid waste management and sanitation.
Hobbies : Trekking, Travel, wildlife and heritage, promoting solar, writing poetry, reading.
Major Publications
2024 Biography by Dr Sharad Kale titled “Almitra Patel Waste Warrior” in English and Marathi and translated to Kannada by Dr H S M Prakash.
Solid Waste Management Guide Book for Swachh Bharat 75p, See: http://www.almitrapatel.com/docs/Swachh_Bharat_Guidebook_v25.pdf
About 35 Power Point presentations and 120 papers from 1991 to date, on Solid Waste Management and related urban planning topics published in proceedings, or distributed, at numerous workshops and seminars. List can be made available if required.
“Strategies for Slum - Free cities : A Discussion Paper”, a 22-page document submitted to the Supreme Court of India in 2002. It was a consultative compilation over 6 months which evolved from personal visits to, and email chats with, about 64 urban planners, NGOs, bureaucrats and subject experts in the field.
“Urban Haz-Waste: Producer Responsibility and Citizen Participation” in EnviroVision 2001 issue of Indian Environment Association
“Strategic Action Plan for Municipal Solid Waste Management in Kanpur – A Step-By-Step Approach” July 2001 for Ganga-ICDP Project (154pp)
Co-authored March 1999 “Report of Supreme Court Committee for Solid Waste Management in Class 1 Cities in India” (105 pp)
“Green Ribbons, not Green Belts” in Times of India April 8, 1994
“Port-holed Slab Cists : Basements or Burials? An Anthropological Viewpoint”, in Karnataka Itihasa [History] Academy’s annual Journal 1990
“Devarabettas – Insurance Against Drought” in People’s Action (CAPART) Nov 89
“Housing Wardens: Catalyst For People’s Housing” in People’s Action July 1987
“Strategic Action Plan for Lions of Gir Sanctuary” for Govt of Gujarat, 1971
(which won it the Best National Park Award 1973).
“Track Down Your Induction Furnace Lining Problems” Troubleshooter distributed in 5 languages in 80 countries
20+ papers on induction furnace linings at Annual Conventions of Institute of Indian Foundrymen
“Vacuum Concrete” in Indian Concrete Journal, Jan 1959
Strengths:
Very strong technical background and experience in several engineering fields, good para-medical knowledge and on a wide variety of pollution-related issues. Widely traveled to many continents since years.
Ability to do a rapid walk-through assessment of a town’s or an area’s SWM status and suggest remedies, from very micro, low-cost, do-able practical aspects to long-term administrative, planning, policy-making, legislative issues.
Non-adversarial approach. Never raise a problem without simultaneously suggesting a possible solution, preferably very low-cost and do-able.
Ability to communicate in six languages and rapidly win the confidence of grass-roots workers, supervisory staff and bureaucrats alike.
Can achieve good field results if opportunity is given.
Enjoy “hand-holding” role for achieving results and mentoring many students and entrepreneurs and two city manager in the waste-management field, and providing honorary consultancies and financial help to NGOs in a great variety of social and environmental fields.
Enjoy a “pollinator” role, sharing contacts for useful outcomes.
Workaholic when it comes to solid waste management and pollution.
Very comfortable roughing it out in all conditions.
Opportunities: Can make a huge difference to a city willing to listen and accept genuine advice.
Not interested in:
Solutions to corruption-related issues or deliberate mis-management.
Simply preparing consultancy documents that are not acted upon.
Lengthy proposal-writing, fund-raising, periodic submission of reports and detailed account-keeping, Hence prefer a technical expert role under someone else who will comply with such formalities.
