Climate change is one of the biggest global concerns today. With drinking water at an all-time low and air quality at its worst, it’s about time we take environmental protection seriously.
The very first thing that we are taught for the protection of the environment as kids is waste segregation i.e. separating wet & dry waste or biodegradable & non-biodegradable waste for better disposal of wastes.
We have all learnt this in theory but hardly practice it in real life. In the capital city alone, the problem of solid waste management is a menace.
However, the figures look better than before, all thanks to the Swachh Bharat initiative. According to a DownToEarth organisation report, 43% of the people are segregating their waste in India at the moment. Moreover, door-to-door collection of waste has increased in the country from 53% to 80% in the last year.
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has also inspired organisations and people to come up with innovative waste segregation mechanisms. Many start-ups like Ecowise & Let’s Recycle have also come up to help this cause.
One such waste management project that is doing well in Delhi is ‘Waste To Manure’ Project in Trilokpuri, an initiative started by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Trilokpuri is a resettlement colony in East Delhi where people never felt the need to get rid of piles of waste that used to lie in the vicinity of the residential area. It is usually the place from where Bollywood gets their “slumdog” shots for movies.
CII Delhi State Office members in one of the meetings and discussions on growing problems of solid waste management with East Delhi Municipal Corporation came up with the idea of ‘Waste To Manure’ with the underlying intent that if the project takes off in Trilokpuri it can be replicated in other areas.
Also, read: In Pics: This Hyderabad Based Techie Turns Plastic Waste Into Fuel To Save The Environment
The implementation of the project was a difficult task as the residents didn’t appreciate the presence of “foreign people” in their area and never felt the need to get rid of waste rotting in many parts of the locality. After effective communication and gaining trust of the ragpickers in the area, soon waste started vanishing in Trilokpuri.
There came a point where one of the lanes in the locality became completely free of any solid waste lying around. It was re-named as “Swachh Gali” (clean lane) by the locals.
Today, the success of this project is so huge that another project called ‘Trilokpuri 2.0’ is being launched.
Similarly, in the State of Kerala in Pukkalam, a woman named Raina single-handedly collects plastic garbage from more than 550 houses every day to help deal with the problem of disposal of plastic wastes.
She then goes to the waste-collecting centre in Moyalath with a dozen sacks filled with plastic waste collected from the Periya Bazar ward in the Pullur-Periya Panchayat area.
She is a volunteer to the ‘Haritha Karma Sena’, an initiative of Kudubashree started for garbage free Kerala which helps the people of the state in better disposal of waste.
The need of the hour is of more such initiatives and voluntary help by people. Together we can beet the menace of plastic and wastes piling up in our homes, societies, districts, states, countries and the world!
Otherwise the doomsday isn’t far. The situation might not concern you right now but the day isn’t far when it will but it would be too late to start then!
So, start now. Do your bit. Save the environment in whatever little ways you can.
Separate your waste. Dispose it better.
Don’t use plastic. I know you have heard it before. This time don’t just hear, practice!
Picture Credits: Google Images
Source: DownToEarth Report, Instagram, CII Report + more
Find the blogger: @innoosense
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