Saturday, October 18, 2014

Workshop on sanitation held for religious institutions and school heads

RABONG: A district-level workshop on Sanitation specifically targeting religious institutions and Heads of Schools organised by the office of the ADC (Dev), Ravangla under Rural Management & Development Department and Kapinzal Social Foundation was held at Community Hall, Ravangla on 17 Oct, 2014.
Participating in the workshop were Heads from 44 Senior Secondary, Secondary and Junior High Schools and representatives from 36 religious institutions. Others present were Tashi Chophel, ADC (Dev) Ravangla, Yishey Yongda, ADM, Gyalshing, Prem Kamal Rai, GVA, Temi, Sangam Rai, GVA, Ravangla, Karma Samten, AD, HRDD, Ravangla, Yogendra Pradhan, AE, GVK, Ravangla and resource persons from Pemayangtse Monastery, Zebanoor Ansari, Drishti, Namchi and Arjun Rai, Kapinzal Social Foundation, Ravangla.
In his welcome address, the ADC Ravangla stated that the need of the hour was to help make Sikkim a Zero Waste State and India a Zero Waste country. Cleanliness is a state of mind and effort needed was to change the mindset of the people and as Heads of Schools had the ear of the next generation and Religious Institutions like monasteries, Temples and Churches had a large following their support in the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan would go a long way in helping solve the country’s waste problems.
Lama Rigzing Yongda from Pemayangtse Monastery shared his experience with the participants detailing how Pemayangtse monastery had banned the use of offerings which had plastic packaging, plastic carry bags and packaged drinking water and how devotees were now offering locally available products. Similar practises could now be adopted by the other institutions he said as the common goal was a clean planet.
A presentation on WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) for Schools was made by Zebanoor Ansari, Drishti, Namchi who outlined the various practises that could be followed in the schools thereby addressing a child’s right to both health and education. A presentation on practises to reduce and recycle waste was made by Shri Arjun Rai, Kapinzal Social Foundation, Ravangla.
Yishey Yongda, ADM, Gyalshing spoke on her eight-year experience in the Sanitation Cell and of the various sanitation activities undertaken by RMDD and of the way forward towards  Zero waste.
During the open discussion Heads of Schools spoke of the various practises being employed by them to reduce waste and how the models could be shared.
Sangam Rai, GVA, Ravangla thanked all for their participation and once again reiterated the need to work in synergy. A similar Workshop for Panchayats, Hoteliers and Taxi Drivers of Ravangla was held a day earlier on 16th Oct at the same venue.

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