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Give Plastic, Take Gold: Kashmiri Man Offers Unique Waste Management Solution
Give Plastic, Take Gold: Kashmiri Man Offers Unique Waste Management Solution
Sputnik India
An advocate and a village head named Faqooq Ganai in Kashmir region wants to make his village plastic free. He had the unique idea of giving out gold coins as rewards to anyone who collects plastic waste.
2023-05-27T14:00+0530
2023-05-27T14:00+0530
2023-05-27T14:00+0530
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jammu and kashmir (j&k)
india
narendra modi
plastic pollution
waste management
environment
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More than 80 kilometres from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, a village has taken upon itself to become the first plastic-free area in the region.Sadiwara village, located in the Anantnag district of the restive south Kashmir region, is home to Farooq Ahmed Ganai, an advocate by profession.Ganai was elected as his village’s representative in 2018 — but his major feat is the launch of the unique "Give Plastic, Take Gold" scheme, under which locals collect plastic waste in exchange for gold coin rewards.The tense security situation in Kashmir in 2019 and the subsequent lockdowns during the COVID pandemic momentarily put a halt to Ganai’s grand plans of cleaning up his village. However, last year he finally decided to realise his eco-friendly dream. The first step was to restore a river stream passing through his village to its former glory.The advocate said that he was inspired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission, an Indian federal government campaign to clean India. The federal government has taken several policy steps to decrease the use of plastic. However, plastic forms a major chunk of solid waste in India, and Sadiwara is no exception.Ganai was discussing the cleaning exercise with his wife when he put forward the idea of giving gold coins as rewards. “She was extremely supportive to an extent that she told me she will donate the first two gold coins that were given to her as wedding presents. That is how the scheme was conceived”, Ganai said.Subsequently, Ganai contacted the local administration of the Anantnag district for their support and thus began the biggest cleanliness drive his village has ever witnessed.How Ganai's Waste Management Scheme WorksUnder his scheme, Ganai announced that anyone who collects 2,000 kilograms of plastic waste will be offered a gold coin worth around 120 USD.Authorities started to collect a user fee of Rs 30 or 0.36 USD from over 400 households of the village to fund the reward. Funds from the district administration further strengthened the scheme's reward system, and thus the cleaning of the river was well underway.Eventually, this year, Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor and senior Bhartiya Janata Party member Manoj Sinha took notice and even advised similar initiatives to be launched across the region.Ganai's Dream of Plastic-Free Goal SadiwaraGanai now plans to make his village plastic-free by the end of this year. “The idea is to establish our village's first solid waste treatment plant where plastic can be converted into granules and recycled as construction material. Our next door to door campaign is also to educate children to not throw plastic wrappers of chocolates or other eatables on the roadside. Instead, collect them and give them to us. This will help raise awareness on littering”, Ganai said.However, Ganai’s struggle is far from over: he says that although the section of the river that passes through his village has been cleaned, filth from other villages at times passes through when incessant rains cause water levels to increase, bringing with it massive amounts of garbage.
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Give Plastic, Take Gold: Kashmiri Man Offers Unique Waste Management Solution
The Indian government banned the use of single-use plastic items in 2022 – yet plastic waste continues to litter the streets of Jammu and Kashmir.
More than 80 kilometres from Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, a village has taken upon itself to become the first plastic-free area in the region.
Sadiwara village, located in the Anantnag district of the restive south Kashmir region, is home to Farooq Ahmed Ganai, an advocate by profession.
Ganai was elected as his village’s representative in 2018 — but his major feat is the launch of the unique "Give Plastic, Take Gold" scheme, under which locals collect plastic waste in exchange for gold coin rewards.
The tense security situation in Kashmir in 2019 and the subsequent lockdowns during the COVID pandemic momentarily put a halt to Ganai’s grand plans of cleaning up his village.
However, last year he finally decided to realise his eco-friendly dream. The first step was to restore a river stream passing through his village to its former glory.
“I remember my mother and my sisters collecting water for home use directly from a river that originates from the centuries old Vatsta spring. The water was so clean that we could drink from the river directly. Now even an insane person will not touch the water, let alone drink it”, Ganai, who is 51, told Sputnik.
The advocate said that he was inspired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led initiative of the Swachh Bharat Mission, an Indian federal government campaign to clean India. The federal government has taken several policy steps to decrease the use of plastic. However, plastic forms a major chunk of solid waste in India, and Sadiwara is no exception.
“I discussed the idea of cleaning our village and especially the river with my local community as I envisioned a community-driven cleaning exercise. I told the community that this is our dirt, we alone must clean it. But I decided to incentivize the clearing of plastic waste from the river. I announced that we will offer rewards to anyone who collects the plastic garbage from the river. Initially the rewards were certificates of appreciation, medals and so on. The response was overwhelming, and I was struck with an idea”, said Ganai.
Ganai was discussing the cleaning exercise with his wife when he put forward the idea of giving gold coins as rewards. “She was extremely supportive to an extent that she told me she will donate the first two gold coins that were given to her as wedding presents. That is how the scheme was conceived”, Ganai said.
Subsequently, Ganai contacted the local administration of the Anantnag district for their support and thus began the biggest cleanliness drive his village has ever witnessed.
How Ganai's Waste Management Scheme Works
Under his scheme, Ganai announced that anyone who collects 2,000 kilograms of plastic waste will be offered a gold coin worth around 120 USD.
Authorities started to collect a user fee of Rs 30 or 0.36 USD from over 400 households of the village to fund the reward. Funds from the district administration further strengthened the scheme's reward system, and thus the cleaning of the river was well underway.
“Two individuals managed to get more than 200 kilograms of plastic waste. But it was decided that they should be given the gold coins for their efforts. Similarly, there were others who had collected several kilos of plastic and they too were rewarded with cash prizes”, Ganai said, adding that locals overwhelmingly participated in the cleaning exercise.
Eventually, this year, Jammu and Kashmir’s Lieutenant Governor and senior Bhartiya Janata Party member Manoj Sinha took notice and even advised similar initiatives to be launched across the region.
“It was an emotional moment for me. To see the river of my childhood, return to its glory and to see my idea being replicated everywhere”, Ganai said.
Ganai's Dream of Plastic-Free Goal Sadiwara
Ganai now plans to make his village plastic-free by the end of this year.
“The idea is to establish our village's first solid waste treatment plant where plastic can be converted into granules and recycled as construction material. Our next door to door campaign is also to educate children to not throw plastic wrappers of chocolates or other eatables on the roadside. Instead, collect them and give them to us. This will help raise awareness on littering”, Ganai said.
However, Ganai’s struggle is far from over: he says that although the section of the river that passes through his village has been cleaned, filth from other villages at times passes through when incessant rains cause water levels to increase, bringing with it massive amounts of garbage.
“Throwing garbage into rivers is the easiest way of getting rid of it without facing consequences. This must change”, said Ganai.
